fWMIIWWIiMiiliilillMiiii^^ 


BHMHKBmnffWVi 


WILFRED  T.  GRENFEL 


''""P'ttH11itU''i"    '    , 


THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 

OF  CALIFORNIA 

LOS  ANGELES 


DOfFN  NORTH  ON 
THE    LABRADOR 


BOOKS  BY 

WILFRED  T.  GRENFELL 

Down  North  on  The  Labrador 

Illustrated,  i2mo,  cloth  .  .    .    .net  1.00 

Down  to  the  Sea 

Illustrated,  i2mo,  cloth  ....  net  ijoo 

The  Harvest  of  the  Sea 

A  Tale  of  Both  Sides  of  the  Atlantic, 
niustrated,  i2mo,  cloth  ....  net  1.00 


i        Down  North  on 
\        The   Labrador 


By 

Wilfred  T.   Grenfell 

M.D.,  C.M.G. 


ILLUSTRATED 


New    Tork       Chicago      Toronto 
Fleming    H.    Revell    Company 

London  and  Edinburgh 


Copyright,  191 1,  by 
FLEMING  H.  REVELL  COMPANY 


New  York:  158  Fifth  Avenue 
Chicago:  133  North  Wabash  Ave. 
Toronto:  25  Richmond  Street,  W. 
London:  21  Paternoster  Square 
Edinburgh:      100    Princes    Street 


I. 
II. 

III. 

IV. 

V. 

VI. 

VII. 

VIII. 

IX. 

X. 

XI. 

XII. 

XIII. 


CONTENTS 


THE  SILVER  FOX  . 

THE  REGENERATION  OF  JOHN 
NIE  EL  WORTH 

HOW  JIMMY    HAMPTON    MADE 
GOOD         .... 


A  VENTURE  IN  ECONOMICS 

GIVEN  TO  HOSPITALITY      . 

REMEDY  FOR  WORRY  . 

ON  HIS  BEAM  ENDS      . 

A  PARTIAL  CONVERSION     . 

THE  SOURCES  OF  PLEASURE 

SUZANNE         .... 

"BRIN" 

RUBE  MARVIN'S  CONFESSION 

"THE   SPARS   OF  THE  ROSE  OF 
TORRIDGE"      . 


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lii5'1899 


Digitized  by  tine  Internet  Arciiive 

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ILLUSTRATIONS 

Cruising  Down  North  on  the  Labrador    .    Opposite  Title 

"  It  was  a  Fox,  Truly — a  Silver  Fox  !  "       .         .       21 
"  The  First  Silver  that   had  Ever  Fallen  to  His 
Share  ! " 


"  Patrols  that  Weary,  Long  Coast  in  Winter  " 
The  Same  Coast  in  Summer 

The  Last  of  a  Labrador  Berg 

A  Fishing  Schooner  in  the  Spring  Ice  . 

'•  It  was  a  Late  Spring  Next  Year  on  the  Coast ' 

"  I'm  Seventy-three  Come  Michaelmas  " 

**  There   were    Few    Hearts   Anywhere    Lighter 
than  Ours  " 

Improving  the  Time  in  Fair  Weather  on  Board  the 
Strathcona         ..... 

"  A  Team  of  Husky  Dogs  "... 

"  He  Went  by  the  Name  of  Brin  "     . 

Sealing  :  The  Harvest  of  the  Winter  Sea 

**  Our  Hospital    Steamer   had  Just  Dropped  Her 
Anchor" 


39 

53 
61 

81 

96 

121 

148 

155 

172 

207 


I 

The  Silver  Fox 

THE  capture  of  a  fox  would  not  be 
considered  a  matter  of  extreme  im- 
portance in  most  countries,  but  in 
Labrador  it  may  be  and  has  been  more  than 
once  the  event  of  a  lifetime.  If  the  fox  is  red, 
or  white,  or  blue,  or  cross,  or  patch,  even  in 
Labrador  it  means  little  enough,  but  if  it  is  a 
silver,  and  especially  if  it  be  black  beyond 
the  shoulders,  then  it  looms  very  large  on  the 
horizon  of  a  northern  settler's  economy. 

And  Anthony  Dyson  had  really  caught 
one.  Yes,  there  it  was.  He  had  just  taken  it 
out  of  his  "  nonny "  bag,  and  it  lay  on  the 
floor  of  his  humble  home,  a  mass  of  frozen 
hair  and  ice.  A  solid  ball  like  a  real  Christ- 
mas cake,  only  with  dark  black  hairs  protrud- 
ing through  the  frosting.  For  the  ice  must 
be  thawed  ofi  carefully,  not  to  injure  the 
beautiful  long  hairs.  The  veriest  tenderfoot 
would  not  try  to  knock  it  ofif  with  a  toma- 
hawk, as  from  a  common  skin. 

Early  in  November,  before  the  "  runs  "  be- 
tween  the  outer  islands  were  quite  caught 
9 


lo   DOWN  NORTH  on  The  LABRADOR 

fast,  long  after  the  fleets  of  fishing  schooners 
had  winged  their  way  south,  Anthony  and 
his  man  Chesley  had  worked  their  little  boat 
through  the  slob  ice  to  a  large  island  lying 
off  in  the  Atlantic,  in  order  to  tail  their  traps 
and  prospect  for  chances  of  winter  game. 
They  had  carried  with  them,  as  they  always 
did  in  the  boat,  their  sleeping  bags  and  some 
food,  in  case  they  were  benighted.  For  they 
were  careful  men,  having  little  ones  at  home 
depending  on  them. 

It  was,  however,  this  very  fact  which  now 
betrayed  them.  The  northern  sky  loomed 
very  angry  when  they  left,  and  in  their  little 
sailing  skiff  they  had  shipped  enough  water 
to  wet  their  clothing  well  before  they  landed 
on  Sandy  Point.  It  seemed  too  hard  to  turn 
back  now ;  so,  hoping  against  better  judg- 
ment that  the  weather  would  get  no  worse, 
they  hauled  their  boat  above  high  water  line, 
while  they  went  around  the  big,  long  island 
tailing  their  traps.  They  had  calculated  on 
having  plenty  of  time  to  recross  the  arm  of 
the  sea  before  dark.  But,  alas  1  even  before 
they  got  back  to  their  boat  the  sky  broke,  and 
a  hurricane  of  wind  leaped  down  upon  them, 
so  that  the  water  was  in  an  instant  a  mass  of 
smoke  and  drift.  The  intense  cold  froze 
their    already    wet    clothing.     They    tried 


The  SILVER  FOX  ii 

to  keep  moving,  searching  the  island  for 
shelter  from  the  storm,  but  finding  none. 
The  snow  on  the  ground,  which  they  de- 
pended on  in  winter  for  a  night's  lodging 
when  travelling,  was  not  deep  enough  to  be 
any  material  help,  and  was  wet  and  soggy 
from  the  driving  salt  spray.  Capsizing  their 
boat,  they  crept  in  beneath  it  into  their  sleep- 
ing bags.  But  these,  too,  were  wet  with  the 
spray  and  as  soon  as  they  lay  down  their 
own  clothes  froze  solid,  so  that  they  were 
obliged  to  get  out  and  walk  down  near  the 
breakers,  so  that  the  driving  salt  spray  might 
soften  their  whilom  armour,  as  vinegar  would 
a  crab's  shell. 

It  was  too  cold  to  eat,  and  though  they  had 
dry  matches  in  bottles,  like  the  careful  hunt- 
ers they  were,  the  force  of  the  wind  made  a  fire 
utterly  impossible.  A  hare  they  had  killed 
that  day  was  as  hard  as  a  piece  of  iron,  and 
they  were  too  cold  and  wretched  to  break  it 
and  eat  it  raw. 

All  night  they  walked  up  and  down  and 
up  and  down  in  the  dark.  Returning  one 
time  to  look  for  their  boat,  they  found  that 
the  gale  had  piled  the  sea  so  high  that  she 
was  actually  rolling  over  in  the  surf,  and 
with  her  their  few  remaining  things  were 
gone,  including  their  axe  and  kettle.     They 


12    DOWN  NORTH  on  The  LABRADOR 

could  do  nothing  then  to  save  them.  Still, 
fortunately,  the  wind  was  on  shore  ;  so  that 
when  daylight  broke  and  the  tide  fell  the 
boat  was  ten  yards  up  the  beach.  Oars  and 
contents  were  all  gone,  and  she  herself  lay 
a  miniature  iceberg,  with  many  inches  of 
frozen  spray  making  her  almost  unrecogniz- 
able. Painfully  they  dragged  her  beyond 
the  reach  of  the  sea ;  for  if  she  were  lost, 
with  her  would  go  any  chance  of  ever  seeing 
their  homes  and  loved  ones  again.  Even  if 
the  women  and  children  had  endeavoured  to 
come  and  look  for  them,  it  would  have  been 
impossible  for  them  to  launch  the  big  trap 
boat  in  the  absence  of  any  men.  And  they 
knew  well  the  men  had  all  left  for  their 
winter  homes  long  ago.  All  this  long  day 
the  fierce  storm  continued  to  sweep  over  the 
devoted  island,  until  every  high  pinnacle 
and  every  blade  of  vegetation  was  covered 
with  snow  or  was  thick  with  frozen  glitter. 
Soon  after  the  first  streak  of  daylight  they 
were  able  to  find  a  niche  in  the  rocks  under 
the  lea  of  the  island  where  they  could  re- 
move their  clothes  and  beat  out  the  ice. 
But  they  found  nothing  to  make  a  fire  with, 
and  had  to  be  content  again  to  put  on  their 
frozen  apparel  to  thaw  out  against  the  heat 
of   their  bodies  if  possible.     For  food  they 


The  SILVER  FOX  13 

could  only  nibble  a  piece  of  hard  bread,  the 
best  friend  of  the  poor  man  on  his  winter 
travels,  for  it  is  cheap  and  cannot  freeze  and 
become  useless. 

By  dark  that  night  Chesley,  the  younger 
of  the  two  men,  was  fast  showing  signs  of 
failing,  and  it  took  all  Anthony's  spare 
energy  to  rouse  and  hearten  him.  Unfortu- 
nately the  lad  had  been  reared  as  one  of  a 
large  family,  and  in  his  boyhood  had  never 
really  been  able  to  obtain  the  nourishing 
food  a  growing  boy  requires.  While  escap- 
ing the  fate  of  two  of  his  brothers,  who  had 
for  this  reason  fallen  victims  to  consumption, 
he  had  nevertheless  grown  up  with  a  dimin- 
ished vitality,  and  the  few  months  of  better 
living  in  Anthony's  house  had  not  yet 
brought  to  him  the  vital  energy  he  should 
have  had. 

The  next  was  indeed  a  horrible  night  for 
both  of  the  men,  and  doubly  so  because  of 
what  they  knew  it  meant  to  those  in  the 
cottage  across  the  strip  of  water.  Anthony 
declares  that  with  him  the  night  went 
quickly,  and  he  remembers  little  personal 
suffering.  The  need  to  keep  his  companion 
on  the  move  and  to  stimulate  him  not 
to  give  up,  lie  down  and  die,  apparently 
diverted  his  attention  from  himself.     But  he 


14    DOWN  NORTH  on  The  LABRADOR 

admits  that  every  now  and  again  his  spirit 
travelled  over  those  foaming  billows,  and 
just  as  really  as  if  his  body  had  been  able  to 
conquer  material  circumstances,  he  seemed 
to  be  watching  his  loved  ones  in  his  own 
home.  So  real  was  the  impression  that  he 
seemed  almost  puzzled  as  to  where  he 
actually  was,  and  he  positively  expected  at 
times  that  his  next  footstep  would  land  him 
at  his  own  door. 

He  was  perfectly  conscious  of  his  young 
wife  in  her  agony  of  doubt,  wrestling  with 
God,  rather  than  "  saying  her  prayers,"  that 
his  own  life  might  be  spared.  He  had  been 
himself  too  self-opinionated  to  ask  for  divine 
help  against  a  physical  storm,  even  all 
through  that  long  night.  Without  actually 
confessing  it  to  himself,  he  had  been  domi- 
nated by  a  resentment  in  his  own  mind 
against  any  idea  that  he  was  not  master 
of  his  life  and  his  environment.  But  the 
vision  of  his  stricken  wife  seemed  to  soften 
his  heart,  and  now,  without  any  particular 
consciousness  of  humbling  himself,  he  cried 
for  mercy  to  God  ;  first  for  the  almost  help- 
less man  he  was  trying  to  save,  and  then — 
yes,  then,  odd  as  it  would  have  seemed  to 
him  at  any  other  time — without  any  feeling 
of  meanness  he  asked  God  to  save  him.     He 


The  SILVER  FOX  15 

thinks  now,  had  it  not  been  for  the  trust  of 
his  companion's  life,  he  might  never  have 
learned  the  lesson  of  that  night — a  lesson  he 
firmly  believes  that  storm  was  sent  for,  and 
for  which  he  has  lived  to  heartily  thank  a 
Father  of  love  in  heaven  for  teaching  him. 
He  still  puts  it  in  the  half  fatalistic  way  of 
the  country,  "  I  s'pose  my  time  had  not  yet 
come,  doctor."  But  the  sense  of  a  personal 
God  really  watching  over  the  affairs  of  men 
had  begun  to  make  a  new  man  of  him. 

In  the  dark  hours  before  dawn  there  was  a 
sudden  lull  in  the  wind,  the  sea  dropped 
quickly,  and  before  the  splendid  sunrise  broke 
over  the  exquisite  tracery  of  the  hills  the  hur- 
ricane had  gone  as  suddenly  as  it  came. 
After  chafing  the  limbs  and  rubbing  the 
body  of  his  charge  until  he  saw  signs  of 
returning  life,  Anthony  carried  and  drove 
him  back  to  the  boat,  where  he  laid  him 
down  in  his  own  oil  coat  until  he  could  beat 
the  ice  off  the  boat's  sides  and  bottom,  and 
once  more  make  her  manageable. 

Hidden  under  bulks  of  seaweed  and  other 
debris  he  was  able  to  find,  alongshore,  pieces 
of  two  of  the  now  dilapidated  paddles,  suf- 
ficiently large  for  a  man  of  his  calibre  to 
venture  the  passage  home  with.  By  a  great 
effort  he   succeeded   in   effecting  a  launch, 


i6    DOWN  NORTH  on  The  LABRADOR 

getting  his  companion  into  the  boat.  After 
a  weary  journey  he  reached  his  own  shore, 
where  he  had  long  been  spied  by  his  anxious 
wife  from  the  lookout.  It  had  been  such  an 
experience  as  he  never  wanted  to  renew ;  but 
he  now  confessed  that,  taken  with  other  of 
life's  happenings,  it  had  been  honestly  worth 
while. 

A  week  had  gone  by.  Both  men  were  so 
thoroughly  recovered  that  one  would  have 
supposed  they  had  forgotten  their  hard 
experience.  It  was  now  once  more  time  to 
cross  the  run  and  examine  the  traps  they 
had  tailed  on  the  island  ;  and  as  good  signs 
of  foxes  had  been  apparent  where  they  had 
set,  Anthony,  nothing  loth,  proposed  another 
journey  to  Sandy  Point. 

They  were  all  in  need  enough,  God  knows, 
of  some  reinforcements  to  the  larder.  But  if 
this  were  true  for  Anthony  it  was  ten  times 
more  true  for  his  companion.  Chesley's  fam- 
ily at  home  was  a  large  one,  and  his  father's 
credit  at  the  store,  thirty  miles  away,  had 
"not  reached  beyond  dry  flour,"  so  that 
while  he  himself  was  getting  butter  and 
molasses,  he  was  anxious  enough  to  be  able 
to  carry  something  home  to  his  parents  and 
the  family.  This  was  his  first  "  winter  out"; 
and,  full  of  high  hopes,  he  had  begun  work, 


The  SILVER  FOX  17 

determined  to  play  the  man  in  the  eyes  of 
those  loved  ones  who  were  in  such  dire 
need. 

The  events  of  the  last  round  of  his  traps 
had  had  the  effect  on  Anthony  of  making 
him  absolutely  certain  of  a  watchful  care 
over  his  life.  But,  strange  to  say,  exactly 
the  same  circumstance  had  so  preyed  on 
the  mind  of  the  younger  man  that  he  flatly 
refused  again  to  venture  the  journey.  The 
more  Anthony  insisted  the  more  determined 
was  the  refusal — and  the  day  ended  with 
Chesley's  abruptly  leaving  the  house  alto- 
gether, after  resigning  all  interest  in  the 
traps,  travelling  on  foot  to  the  mainland 
which  he  was  now  able  to  reach  on  the  ice, 
and  doggedly  holding  on  his  way  until  he 
arrived  penniless  at  his  father's  door. 

Anthony  felt  he  had  nothing  to  blame  him- 
self for.  He  had  reasoned  and  ordered,  all  to 
no  purpose.  The  outcome  was  that  now  he 
was  left  alone,  to  all  appearances  unable  to 
pursue  his  only  method  of  earning  a  liveli- 
hood. His  wife  had  not  yet  found  out  the 
true  state  of  affairs.  She  supposed  that 
Chesley  would  return  in  the  morning,  and 
that  at  least  her  husband  would  not  have  to 
add  to  his  inevitable  risks  the  perils  of  going 
these    long   distances   alone.      Anthony   re- 


i8    DOWN  NORTH  on  The  LABRADOR 

membered  that  she  knew  how  her  own  uncle 
had  come  by  his  death  two  years  before,  by 
some  fit  or  seizure  while  away  with  his 
dogs ;  the  gruesome  story  of  how  the  dogs 
had  returned  some  time  later  without  him, 
and  that  only  when  the  snow  had  gone  in 
the  spring  his  half  eaten  body  had  been 
found,  was  not  likely  to  be  forgotten. 
Anthony  did  not  dare  suggest  to  her  what 
he  knew  was  now  the  only  course  open  to 
him. 

All  the  next  day  he  himself  still  kept 
silence,  hoping  against  hope  that  Chesley 
might  return.  He  dreaded  asking  his  wife 
to  let  him  depart  alone,  though  he  had,  like 
most  of  our  men,  absolutely  no  fear  about 
going.  But  on  the  second  day  the  real  truth 
dawned  upon  him.  He  would  be  alone  for 
the  winter  now,  and  must  either  go  by  him- 
self or  starve. 

Screwing  his  courage  to  its  utmost  limit, 
he  at  length  told  his  wife ;  expecting  that  a 
scene  would  follow  that  would  make  his 
determination  impossible  to  put  into  prac- 
tice. He  confesses  that  in  this  dilemma  he 
had  forgotten  again  the  good  hand  of  his 
God  upon  him.  For  it  took  him  utterly  by 
surprise  when  his  wife  seemed  to  welcome 
his  decision.    Indeed,  she  had  already  begun 


The  SILVER  FOX  19 

to  pack  up  his  outfit  and  put  his  things  to- 
gether, almost  before  he  had  done  explain- 
ing his  reasons. 

He  had  now,  he  confesses,  yet  another 
lesson  to  learn ;  and  that  lesson,  too,  will 
stand  him  in  good  stead  yet,  I'm  sure.  His 
brave  young  wife  had  read  him  like  an  open 
book.  She  had  solved  his  unspoken  riddle, 
and — showing  a  courage  to  my  view  far 
superior  to  his  own — with  a  smile  on  her 
face  but  an  awful  load  at  her  heart  she  bade 
him  do  as  he  judged  best.  He  had  hardly 
learned  what  trust  in  God  meant  to  him ; 
he  now  realized  what  the  same  trust  could 
do  for  another. 

As  he  left  the  land  in  the  old  punt,  how- 
ever, he  knew  that  it  was  a  heavy  heart  he 
left  behind  him ;  and  he  did  not  fail  to  feel 
that  a  pair  of  anxious  eyes  were  watching 
him  from  the  eyrie  as  once  again  he  skill- 
fully sought  to  drive  his  little  craft  between 
the  large  "  growler "  forms  of  ice  that  swept 
endlessly  through  the  tickle.  So  much  had 
this  feeling  told  on  him  that,  when  he  even- 
tually landed  and  hauled  his  punt  up  over  the 
ice  barricades  which  had  piled  up  on  Sandy 
Point  in  the  few  days  since  he  was  last  there, 
he  had  ceased  to  expect  anything  worth 
while  in  the  traps.     The  whole  world  seemed 


20    DOWN  NORTH  on  The  LABRADOR 

somehow  cruel  and  relentless;  and  as  he 
wended  his  way  alone  to  trap  after  trap 
along  the  desolate  sides  of  that  bleak  island 
and  found  one  after  another  empty,  once 
again  life  seemed  to  him  to  be  a  blank.  His 
apathy  was,  however,  half  dispelled  when  he 
came  to  the  seventh  station.  His  trap,  set 
here  on  the  top  of  a  heavy  stump — driven 
into  the  ground  to  prevent  its  being  iced 
over — had  disappeared.  The  chain  had  ap- 
parently snapped  near  the  peg  and  whatever 
had  been  in  it  had  gone  away  also ;  while 
the  driven  snow  that  had  fallen  the  previous 
nights  had  obliterated  all  trace  of  the  direc- 
tion in  which  the  quarry  had  carried  it. 
Carefully  he  blew  away  the  surface  of  the 
snow,  as  in  ever-widening  circles  he  eagerly 
scanned  the  ground  for  some  faint  trace  that 
might  supply  to  his  keen  eyes  evidences  as 
to  which  way  to  start  in  pursuit.  But  all  to 
no  purpose.  The  snow,  packed  as  hard  as 
adamant  by  the  wind,  had  obliterated  every- 
thing. Now  thoroughly  discouraged,  he 
tramped  along  to  the  next  and  last  post, 
about  a  mile  and  a  quarter  farther  on. 

A  tiny  dark  speck  some  hundred  yards 
out  of  the  path  had  not  escaped  his  keen 
sight,  but  it  had  until  that  moment  appeared 
like  the  hundred  and  one  other  snags  and 


"IT  WAS  A   FOX,   TRULY-A   SILVER  FOX!" 


THE  FIRST  SILVER  THAT  HAD   EVER  FALLEN  TO  HIS 
SHARE!" 


The  SILVER  FOX  21 

stone  tops  that  protruded  through  the  snow 
on  every  side.  Suddenly  it  seemed  to  move. 
At  first  he  thought  it  must  be  his  eyes 
deceiving  him.  But  no  ;  it  did  move,  as  a 
reed  shaken  in  the  wind.  In  considerably 
less  than  a  minute,  his  gun  unslung  and 
cocked,  Anthony  was  standing,  his  eyes 
staring,  his  heart  bounding,  over  a  tuft  of 
black  hair  protruding  through  the  general 
level  of  the  snow. 

It  was  a  fox,  truly — a  silver  fox !  The 
first  silver  that  had  ever  fallen  to  his  share  1 
Poor  beast,  there  was  no  need  to  shoot. 
Amid  all  the  wild  sense  of  triumph  now 
coursing  through  every  fibre  of  his  body,  he 
could  not  help  feeling  it  had  found  the  fate 
he  and  his  friend  had  so  recently  and  so 
narrowly  escaped — with  a  trap  on  two  of  its 
feet  it  had  frozen  to  death  on  the  island. 

It  was  this  valuable  fox  that  now  lay  on 
the  kitchen  floor  of  the  little  kitchen.  "  It's 
mine,  Bessie  1 "  he  almost  shouted.  "  Mine 
all  mine,  every  hair  of  it !  And  I've  no 
shareman.  What  will  Chesley  say  now  for 
having  run  away  and  left  me?  It  would 
have  meant  everything  to  those  children — a 
diet  for  the  whole  winter." 

As  he  was  speaking  the  ice  was  melting 
ofi  the  glossy  skin.     What  a  beauty  it  was  I 


22    DOWN  NORTH  on  The  LABRADOR 

No  tracing  of  the  long  hairs,  as  there  would 
have  been  in  a  spring-caught  fox ;  no  thin 
mane  from  hair  falling  off  as  it  pushed 
through  bushes ;  no  faded  fur  from  a  Febru- 
ary or  March  sun.  No.  It  was  a  real  large 
dog  silver  fox,  in  prime  season — dark  to  the 
shoulders,  mane  like  a  lion,  and  a  pure  white 
mixed  with  the  black,  that  told  him  it  would 
fetch  $500  if  it  fetched  a  dollar.  Five  hun- 
dred dollars  1  A  new  sail  for  the  schooner,  a 
new  mooring  chain  that  she  needed  so  badly, 
tinned  milk,  a  new  rifle,  a  proper  boat  for  his 
cod  trap,  a  fleet  of  new  salmon  nets,  enough 
twine  to  put  the  old  seal  nets  in  order, 
visions  of  plenty  of  everything  dear  to  the 
soul  of  a  Labrador  trapper  and  fisherman ! 

But  Chesley — what  of  Chesley  and  the 
family?  Anthony  had  5'^et  one  lesson  to 
learn.  He  had  to  learn  what  real  faith  in 
God  means.  It  does  not  mean  singing.  It 
does  not  mean  praying.  "  Not  every  one 
that  saith  Lord,  Lord,  shall  enter  into  His 
kingdom  here  on  earth,  or  hereafter  in 
heaven."  Into  that  kingdom  which  is  right- 
eousness, joy,  and  peace  in  believing,  en- 
trance comes  only  of  doing  the  will  of  our 
Father  which  is  in  heaven. 

•'  Dear  Anthony,"  said  a  quiet  voice  by  his 
side,  as  he  stood  silently  thinking  over  his 


The  SILVER  FOX  23 

good  fortune,  "  it  will  be  good  to  get  a  new 
sail.  How  lovely  the  little  Daryl  will  sail, 
and  she'll  bring  you  back  safely  to  me,  and 
with  the  new  mooring  chain  I  shall  have  no 
fear  when  the  wind  blows,  and  you  are  away 
on  the  voyage  to  the  Hudson  Bay  Post. 
But,  Anthony  dear,  there  is  something  which 
you  will  love  better  than  that.  Let's  get  the 
dogs  harnessed  up  and  start  right  away,  and 
we  will  have  the  best  part  of  all.  You  will, 
won't  you?  And  we'll  drive  right  over  and 
tell  Chesley  that  half  the  fox  belongs  to 
him." 

Without  a  word  of  argument  Anthony 
went  out  and  called  the  dogs. 

For  to  Anthony  had  come  at  last — as  it 
must  often  come  to  many  of  us  also,  through 
humiliation  and  suffering,  the  lesson  of 
Christmas  that  God  would  have  all  mankind 
learn. 


11 

T^he  Regeneration  of  'Johnnie  Elworth 

JOHNNIE  ELWORTH  was  as  dear  a 
little  chap  as  ever  brightened  a  home, 
but  he  was  not  calculated  to  inspire  en- 
thusiasm in  a  teacher.  He  was  only  four 
years  old,  and  only  just  in  the  glory  of  his 
first  trousers.  His  parents,  brought  up  on 
the  coast,  had  had  no  chances  for  "  getting 
learning,"  and  Johnnie  had  a  strong  family 
trait  that  suggested  at  once,  and  confirmed 
in  a  very  short  time,  that  in  spite  of  our 
best  efforts  his  chances  of  outrunning  his 
parents  in  that  direction  were  far  from  rosy. 
His  very  limbs  seemed  to  be  always  tied  in 
inextricable  knots,  and  every  time  the  teacher 
unfolded  him  he  succeeded  in  getting  himself 
more  tangled. 

He  had  a  marvellous  way  of  sitting  with 
one  hand  in  his  opposite  breast  pocket,  and 
the  other  in  his  wrong  trouser  one,  and  both 
so  far  in  that  it  was  almost  impossible  to  get 
them — I  had  almost  said  him — out.  With 
infinite  patience  our  gentle  schoolma'am 
would  unwind  Johnnie  and  straighten  him 
84 


JOHNNIE  ELWORTH  25 

out  opposite  his  slate,  fixing  his  pencil  in  his 
hand.  But  so  soon  as  her  attention  was  di- 
rected to  the  other  side  of  the  class  Johnnie 
would,  in  less  time  than  it  takes  to  write,  get 
**  all  snarled  up  again."  What  his  limbs 
were,  his  brain  seemed  to  be,  and  what  his 
brain,  so  his  will.  He  seemed  to  be  naturally 
fortified  against  acquiring  any  kind  of  learn- 
ing. 

We  have  emerged  from  the  "  putting-it-in- 
with-a-stick  age,"  having  found  that  course 
harmful,  so  Johnnie  became  apparently  an 
insoluble  problem.  No  doubt  this  needn't 
have  been  the  case  had  the  schoolma'am  had 
a  limited  number  of  "  Johnnies  "  to  attend  to, 
and  less  limited  help  to  do  it  with.  But  our 
school  was  small  only  in  the  magnitude  of 
its  accommodation  and  paraphernalia  for 
education  that  we  had  been  able  to  collect 
within  its  walls.  The  scholars  varied  in 
nothing  so  much  as  their  ages,  and  when  an 
attempt  was  once  made  to  add  a  night  school 
to  our  labours  we  found  it  impossible  to  re- 
cord an  average  age — our  eldest  scholars 
having  long  lost  any  knowledge  of  the  date 
of  their  embarkation  on  life's  voyage. 

If  age  was  the  main  point  of  difference  in 
the  scholars,  the  inability  to  make  suitable 
provision   against  the   inclemencies    of  our 


26    DOWN  NORTH  on  The  LABRADOR 

subarctic  climate  was  their  greatest  point 
of  similarity;  a  resemblance  that  keenly 
accentuated  the  divergence  of  ingenuity  dis- 
played in  overcoming  this  paramount  diffi- 
culty. How  many  times  the  places  of  our 
most  interesting  scholars  would  be  empty  be- 
cause "  Please,  teacher,  Tommie  hasn't  any 
boots  to  come  in."  I  can  still  see  our  tiny 
Elsie  trudging  to  school  in  a  pair  of  boots, 
generously  supplied  from  her  own  wardrobe 
by  a  somewhat  large  lady,  whose  sympathy 
was  aroused  on  her  chance  visit  to  our  village 
by  the  grief  she  saw  caused  by  a  deprivation 
apparently  so  easily  remedied. 

Arrayed  in  these  "  seven  leaguers,"  for  a 
little  while  Elsie  became  a  regular  attendant 
once  again,  and  her  prospect  of  getting 
learning  flourished.  True,  she  had  to  make 
an  earlier  start  than  heretofore,  and  leave 
home  long  before  the  rest  of  the  scholars  if 
she  was  to  navigate  successfully  such  large 
craft  on  the  journey  to  school,  but  that  did 
not  trouble  her  as  much  as  not  being  able  to 
"keep  up"  when  the  others  were  "seeing 
their  schoolma'am  home."  Alas !  a  worse 
casualty  overtook  her  soon.  As  she  was 
missing  from  her  place  in  school  two  days  in 
succession,  the  schoolma'am  "  looked  her  up," 
only  to  find  that  "  mother  thought  them  boots 


JOHNNIE  ELWORTH  27 

fitted  Carrie  "  (her  older  sister)  better  ;  a  fact 
that  there  was  no  contesting. 

The  almost  universal  scarcity  in  the  matter 
of  wearing  apparel  fortunately  made  a  false 
sense  of  modesty  never  any  factor  to  be  reck- 
oned with.  No  one  remarked  unkindly  on 
Tommie  Carlson  when  he  appeared  for  the 
first  time  in  his  bread-bag  trousers,  though 
the  virtues  of  its  former  contents  were  indel- 
ibly stamped  up  and  down  the  legs.  The 
old  trouser  leg  transformed  into  a  sweater  or 
jumper  for  Jimmie  MacKenzie,  though  its 
former  function  was  very  thinly  disguised, 
attracted  no  particular  attention  ;  nor  did  any 
one  resent  the  appearance  of  Harry  Gray 
when  he  succeeded  in  forcing  a  passage  to 
school  in  the  cast-off  sea  boots  of  his  father, 
over  the  tops  of  which  he  could  hardly  see. 
In  the  mind  of  our  little  schoolma'am  it  only 
created  a  sense  of  admiration  and  gratitude 
that  this  dear  little  chap  should  set  out  on  so 
arduous  a  venture  just  to  get  to  school.  No 
one  else,  however,  was  in  the  least  surprised. 
For  we  all  knew  a  little  about  the  power  of 
magnets. 

It  was,  alas !  often  the  same  with  food  as 
with  clothing.  When  proper  nourishing 
food  was  not  obtainable,  it  was  neither  advis- 
able nor  possible  to  insist  on  the  little  ones 


28    DOWN  NORTH  on  The  LABRADOR 

coming  for  "  book  learning,"  and  our  pa- 
ternal government  has  not  yet  provided  us 
with  the  means  of  supplying  a  meal  at  mid- 
day. 

In  addition  to  all  other  disadvantages, 
there  is  the  ingrained  *'  cussedness "  of  hu- 
man nature  ;  the  universal  slowness  of  all  of 
us  to  appreciate  the  true  value  of  things,  and 
the  inability  to  discipline  ourselves  to  that  we 
don't  really  care  for.  Most  fortunately,  we 
had,  per  contra,  the  personality  of  our  school- 
ma'am  ;  which,  as  one  of  our  apt  neighbours 
once  said,  "  Be  just  as  good  as  molasses  for 
flies." 

Still  education  progressed  but  slowly  in 
the  village,  and  our  aspiration  to  be  ahead  of 
the  rest  of  the  country  in  mental  evolution 
seemed  improbable  of  realization. 

Christmas  had  come  and  gone,  and  even 
here  "  away  down  north,"  we  were  already 
discussing  plans  for  the  still  distant  season 
of  open  water.  A  flag  raised  one  day  on  a 
high  pole  across  the  harbour  heralded  at 
breakfast  that  a  dog  mail  had  arrived  that 
morning — and  as  we  gathered  round  the  log 
fire  at  night,  each  one  was  contributing  for 
the  general  benefit  titbits  from  the  news  re- 
ceived from  our  widely  distributed  homes. 

It  was  our  schoolma'am's  turn  to  talk ;  she 


JOHNNIE  ELWORTH  29 

evidently  had  something  on  her  mind.  She 
was  a  poor  dissembler  of  emotions.  "A 
friend  of  mine  who  teaches  a  large  kinder- 
garten near  home,"  she  broke  in,  "  has  offered 
to  come  down  for  the  summer,  and  help  with 
the  school.  Do  you  think  it  would  be  any 
good  telling  her  to  come  along?" 

In  a  country  like  this,  conundrums  are  our 
daily  portion.  But  it  was  unusually  unani- 
mously, as  if  by  instinct,  that  all  hands 
plumped  for  a  kindergarten,  to  be  taught  by 
a  friend  of  our  friend.  After  which,  like  so 
many  children,  we  proceeded  to  discuss  its 
possibility. 

^^ Experimenhim fiat^''  was  the  best  verdict 
we  could  come  to,  even  after  prolonged  dis- 
cussion ;  and  sure  enough  our  first  July  boat 
deposited  a  trained  kindergartner  in  our 
midst,  with  mysterious  boxes  of  apparatus 
such  as  the  sun  had  never  shone  on  in  our 
village  before. 

The  question  of  installation  was  settled  by 
clearing  the  diminutive  schoolroom  of  all  the 
impedimenta  of  rough  board,  forms  and  desks, 
that  we  had  so  laboriously  collected  and  had 
previously  been  so  highly  prized.  They 
were  replaced  by  a  few  chalk  lines  on  the 
floor,  now  resplendent  from  much  soap  and 
scrubbing.     Some  dainty  little  chairs  occu- 


30    DOWN  NORTH  on  The  LABRADOR 

pied  but  little  space,  while  in  the  corner  stood 
the  marvel  of  the  shore — a  real  grand  piano. 
It  was  no  bantling,  this  piano — on  the  con- 
trary, it  had  an  added  sanctity  of  years  suffi- 
cient alone  to  commend  it  to  our  veneration. 

Its  size  was  appalling  in  its  setting  of  our 
tiny  school,  while  from  the  very  first  day  the 
gorgeous  polish  of  its  mahogany  case  did  for 
the  ill-lit  corners  of  the  room  what  it  has  since 
been  doing  steadily  for  the  far  less  penetrable 
corners  of  many  small  minds.  It  has  been  a 
veritable  light  to  them  that  sit  in  darkness. 
How  many  of  our  little  scholars  stood  open- 
mouthed  and  speechless,  as,  after  bounding 
through  the  door  with  characteristic  energy, 
its  awful  presence  first  dawned  on  their  startled 
gaze.  When  at  length  they  saw  their  beloved 
schoolma'am  actually  sit  down  and  handle  it 
with  familiarity  and  force  it  to  give  forth 
sweet  music,  enthusiasm  knew  no  bounds. 

The  grand  piano  had  only  one  rival  for 
many  days,  and  that  rival  also  had  but  just 
been  unveiled.  It  was  a  large  "  stuff  "  cow, 
that  not  only  was  as  real  as  life,  but  the  wise 
ones  knew  that  if  you  "slewed  her  head 
round  "  she  would  twist  it  back  herself  and 
give  vent  to  a  loud  moo-oo  as  she  did  so. 
It  was  long  the  ample  reward  of  the  industri- 
ous to  be  permitted  to  slew  that  head. 


JOHNNIE  ELWORTH  31 

And  so  the  kindergarten  got  under  way 
and  our  new  helper  could  be  seen  surrounded 
morning  and  afternoon  with  an  eager  crowd 
of  hitherto  unappreciative  youngsters,  who 
in  increasing  numbers  flocked  to  enjoy  the 
marvels  of  modern  kindergarten  methods. 

The  hearts  of  all  those  who  were  interested 
in  the  children's  welfare  rose  like  sky  rockets, 
and  the  gleam  in  many  eyes  betrayed  that 
we  were  counting  once  again  on  leaving  our 
southern,  usually  more  favoured  rivals,  "hull 
down  "  on  the  race  for  learning. 

It  was  a  week  after  operations  commenced 
before  I  managed  to  get  down  to  a  "  recita- 
tion "  at  the  kindergarten.  When  I  entered, 
the  children  were  sitting  in  a  ring  on  the  floor 
and  singing,  while  one  of  their  number,  from 
the  teacher's  feet,  took  shots  at  a  long  line  of 
coloured  balls,  while  the  others  counted  the 
numbers  hit  and  the  numbers  left  in  line, 
clapping  boisterously  as  each  new  hit  was 
made.  The  vigour  of  the  thrower  and  the 
evident  pleasure  he  got  from  the  game  at- 
tracted my  attention.  His  whole  energies 
were  absorbed  in  the  task.  To  my  astonished 
gaze,  the  profile  of  this  wide-awake,  keen, 
eager  little  player  slowly  resolved  itself  into 
the  familiar  features  of  Johnnie  Elworth.  I 
could  scarcely  believe  it  wasn't  an  illusion. 


32    DOWN  NORTH  on  The  LABRADOR 

The  humour  of  the  position,  however,  was 
what  perhaps  most  struck  me,  for,  quite  oflF 
his  guard  and  unaware  of  the  fact,  here  was 
Johnnie  at  last,  in  spite  of  himself,  obviously 
"getting  learning." 

When  Johnnie  himself  as  successfully 
counted  backwards  the  balls  he  was  to  aim 
at,  my  facetious  colleague  suggested  that 
our  little  schoolma'am  at  the  piano  must 
surely  be  in  danger  of  nervous  prostration. 

Things  went  along  swimmingly  with  the 
kindergarten ;  rumours  that  a  weird  desire 
to  acquire  wisdom  had  developed  like  measles 
in  all  the  children  reached  us  daily,  at  hos- 
pital. Had  we  known  the  sad  story  of  the 
Pied  Piper  of  Hamlin  we  might  have  had 
reason  to  be  jealous  of  this  success,  and  we 
might  have  been  pardoned  for  listening  to 
the  disquieting  rumours  that  began  to  creep 
along  the  harbour.  These,  however,  came 
from  a  different  cause  altogether.  Our  people 
have  a  very  well  defined  though  sometimes 
a  singular  idea  of  what  Almighty  God  allows 
and  does  not  allow.  They  are  people  who 
stand  for  fixed  principles,  and  the  cost  to 
them  and  the  sacrifice  involved  don't  count 
one  iota  with  those  who  claim  to  be  Chris- 
tian men — a  trait  which  has  many  things  to 
commend  it 


JOHNNIE  ELWORTH  33 

Among  the  pursuits  that  have  received  the 
irrevocable  condemnation  of  the  local  leaders 
of  religion,  in  spite  of  the  concession  of  Solo- 
mon on  this  particular  point,  is  dancing.  It 
comes  within  the  same  category  as  dram- 
drinking,  and  must  be  unhesitatingly  dis- 
countenanced. The  laxity  of  foreigners  on 
this  particular  article  of  the  creed  is  proverbial. 
No  wonder  then  that  rumours  were  soon 
afloat  that  at  the  afternoon  session  of  our 
kindergarten  the  "  thin  edge  of  this  wedge  of 
sin  "  was  being  secretly  inserted.  Now  if  this 
scandal  were  permitted  to  spread  it  spelled 
nothing  short  of  ruin  for  our  most  promising 
effort.  It  was  obvious  that  this  bull  had  to 
be  taken  by  the  horns,  and  that  at  once. 
There  were  two  ministers  who  were  our 
oracles  on  all  such  subjects  at  the  time,  in 
our  harbour.  I  left  in  search  of  them  without 
delay.  It  was  agreed  we  should  unexpectedly 
drop  in  at  the  very  next  afternoon  session, 
and,  if  necessary,  nip  this  poison  plant  while 
yet  it  was  in  the  bud. 

Three  o'clock  saw  us,  strengthened  by  the 
company  of  yet  one  more  expert  on  vital 
matters  of  this  kind,  knocking  at  the  kinder- 
garten door.  Our  arrival,  I  must  confess, 
seemed  in  no  wise  to  disconcert  the  new 
teacher  whose  integrity  was  at  stake.     She 


34    DOWN  NORTH  on  The  LABRADOR 

certainly  could  not  have  realized  the  magni- 
tude of  the  issues  this  solemn  conclave  fore- 
boded. Politely  but  firmly  we  were  ushered 
to  the  sole  remaining  wooden  bench  and  told 
to  perch  ourselves  well  out  of  the  way  against 
the  wall  at  the  end  of  the  room.  Arrayed  in 
a  solemn  row,  and,  there  is  no  denying  it, 
awed  into  silence  by  the  atmosphere  prevail- 
ing, we  must  have  appeared  to  an  intelligent 
onlooker  like  a  tenderfoot  jury  at  a  new 
quarter  sessions.  I  confess  to  misgivings  of 
conscience  as  I  sat  watching  without  a  word 
the  "  carryings  on  "  we  were  shortly  to  pro- 
nounce on  for  good  or  evil.  The  first 
*'  game "  or  two  were  irreproachable.  The 
interrupted  ball  game  was  reenacted.  Every 
child  was  sitting  on  the  floor.  No  adverse 
comment  was  possible  on  this  or  on  the 
second  game,  called  "  Now  we  turn  in,  turn 
in,"  "  Now  we  turn  out,  turn  out."  For  for- 
tunately no  one  left  the  places  allotted  to 
them,  though  at  the  magic  words  "  I  turn 
myself  about "  every  one  jumped  round 
about.  This  game  was  certainly  permissible. 
But  now  the  children  are  "  choosing  part- 
ners," and  though,  with  the  perversity  of 
childhood,  the  boys  had  all  chosen  boys,  and 
the  girls  girls  to  share  the  intricacies  of  the 
coming  evolutions,  I  noted  with  trepidation 


JOHNNIE  ELWORTH  35 

that  the  suspicions  of  the  vigilance  committee 
were  undoubtedly  aroused.  I  could  see  it  in 
their  eyes,  and,  being  unaware  of  what  was  to 
follow,  I  felt  proportionally  nervous.  We 
were  informed  by  the  teacher  that  this  per- 
formance would  be  a  "  folk  game,"  and  was 
known  under  the  title  "  Piggiewig  and 
Piggiewee."  It  was  to  be  accompanied  by 
singing. 

There  proved,  to  my  intense  relief,  after 
all,  no  danger  of  our  yet  incurring  theologic 
odium  from  this  innovation  on  the  road  to 
the  three  R's.  The  children  actually  sat 
down  part  of  the  time,  and  the  undoubted 
risks  attaching  to  all  forms  of  motor  dissipa- 
tion were  then  confined  to  rhythmic  move- 
ments of  the  fingers.  With  a  sigh  of  relief,  I 
recognized  we  were  still  surviving  the  test. 

Our  teacher  next  successfully  navigated  us 
clear  of  any  possible  stricture  through  the 
game  of  "  All  on  the  Train  for  Boston." 
For,  in  spite  of  the  motion,  each  player  only 
held  on  to  the  shoulders  of  the  one  in  front, 
and  shuffled  on  after  the  engine  along  that 
apparently  circuitous  route.  So  that  we 
could  think  of  no  form  of  dance  (known  to 
us  in  our  unregenerate  days  of  course)  com- 
prehensive enough  to  include  this,  as  even  a 
collateral.      But  we  had  scarcely  begun  to 


36    DOWN  NORTH  on  The  LABRADOR 

breathe  freely  when  we  were  forewarned  that 
the  whole  company  would  now  "  join  hands, 
and  move  round  and  round  in  a  circle  "  to 
music.  This  was  a  very  different  matter. 
And  now  the  whole  committee  realized  that 
the  supreme  moment  had  arrived  !  With  no 
little  apprehension  we  saw  boys  and  girls 
actually  alternated,  hands  actually  held  in 
hand — and  we  noted  that  as  all  sang  the  un- 
deniably secular  script  of  "  Louby  Loo," 
many  of  the  tiny  feet  positively  left  the  floor 
as  the  circle  went  merrily  round.  We  had 
seen  sufficient.  For  we  had  now  no  doubt 
whatever  that  we  had  traced  to  their  lair  the 
very  natural  suspicions  that  had  necessitated 
our  visit.  Without  question  there  were 
those  who  would  classify  this  proceeding  "  as 
unbecoming  to  a  wholly  devoted  religious 
person." 

With  the  most  studied  politeness  we  bade 
farewell  to  the  prisoners  at  the  bar,  and  ad- 
journed to  consider  the  whole  problem  at 
issue — in  ccBmera — on  the  nearest  fishing 
stage. 

The  question  now  resolved  itself  into  a 
very  elementary  one,  viz.,  what  should  we 
do  ?  It  was  no  longer  the  kindergarten  that 
was  on  trial,  it  was  the  committee.  We,  we, 
the  irreproachable — we  who  were  regarded  as 


JOHNNIE  ELWORTH  37 

the  patterns  for  the  orthodox.  It  was  zve 
who  were  on  trial.  How  were  we  to  avoid 
becoming  a  stumbling-block  to  the  feeble- 
kneed,  and  at  the  same  time  escape  our  own 
convictions  that  unregenerate  scoffers  might 
be  justified  in  seeing  a  humorous  side  to  our 
dilemma?  I  will  not  describe  the  vicissi- 
tudes of  the  session.  There  was  nothing  in 
Holy  Writ  to  which  "  Piggiewig  and  Pig- 
giewee"  was  subversive,  that  was  clear. 
Without  any  fear  we  decided  that  by  no 
subtlety  of  construction  could  any  known 
passage  of  even  the  most  obscure  portions  of 
Scripture  be  construed  into  a  ban  on  games 
restricted  to  the  "  Piggiewig "  class.  By  a 
natural  process  which  gave  us  great  relief 
and  we  hoped  was  not  "  a  falling  back,"  we 
soon  excluded  also  all  but  "  Louby  Loo " 
from  the  "  questionable  procedure  group." 

An  end  has  to  come  to  all  things.  It  was  at 
length  decided  to  put  "  Louby  Loo"  to  vote. 
On  division  we  pretended  to  be  seriously  sur- 
prised that  we  were  unanimously  in  favour  of 
non-interference. 

I  may  as  well  confess  right  here  that  the 
expression  I  had  seen  on  Johnnie  Elworth's 
face,  combined  with  the  fact  that  his  bare 
legs  had  unwound  themselves  voluntarily  for 
once,  and  had  then  dragged  his  diminutive 


38    DOWN  NORTH  on  The  LABRADOR 

partner  of!  the  floor  in  that  game,  combined 
with  the  undoubted  discovery  that  he  was 
actually  singing,  had  seriously  prejudiced  my 
mind  in  the  matter.  I  was  forced  to  rely  on 
the  hope  that  my  more  theologically-minded 
brethren  had  escaped  this  bias.  I  cannot 
tarry  here,  for  the  benefit  of  posterity,  to  de- 
bate the  reasons  which  impelled  the  minds  of 
my  colleagues  to  come  to  a  conclusion  so 
momentous  in  the  annals  of  our  interpretation 
of  the  divine  will.  It  will  be  more  far-reach- 
ing than  most  would  suppose.  The  verdict, 
anyhow,  was  for  the  defense.  The  crowd  in 
court  alone  remained  to  be  dealt  with. 

I  have  nev?r  suspected  the  cloth  of  any- 
thing but  open  and  aboveboard  methods  of 
attaining  their  ends.  I  would  be  the  last  to 
suggest  that  any  plan  of  action  that  com- 
mended itself  to  them  should  suggest  the 
evil  devices  of  the  political  arena.  I  protest 
that  I  hereby  acquit  my  clerical  friends  of 
all  suspicions  of  subtlety  in  the  course  we 
finally  decided  on.  It  was  bold.  It  was  wise. 
It  was  successful. 

The  following  Sunday  even  the  "  Louby 
Loo  "  group  received  from  the  pulpit  the  offi- 
cial sanction  of  the  churches,  and  Johnnie 
Elworth  is  still  on  the  high  road  to  regenera- 
tion. 


Ill 

How  'Jimmy  Hampton  Made  Good 

THERE  was  a  feeling  of  dampness  in 
the  air,  the  first  for  several  months. 
Still,  it  was  only  the  second  week  in 
March,  and  rain  is  at  that  time  an  unexpected 
phenomenon  away  down  north  in  Labrador 
The  •'  winter  doctor,"  the  title  by  which  the 
solitary  man  is  known,  who  patrols  that 
weary,  long  coast,  giving  help  to  the  sick  in 
winter,  had  long  since  turned  his  northern 
limit  and  was  slowly  working  south  towards 
his  headquarters  at  the  hospital,  located  on 
an  island  just  where  the  Straits  of  Belle  Isle 
flow  into  the  Atlantic  Ocean. 

His  whole  outfit,  never  a  large  one,  con- 
sisted of  two  sledges,  with  ten  dogs  each. 
The  chief  pilot  and  dog-master,  with  a  young 
companion,  carried  on  the  leading  sledge  the 
food  supply  for  the  dogs,  and  not  a  little  for 
the  men  also.  For  the  poverty  of  the  scat- 
tered settlers,  and  the  long  distances  that  in- 
tervene between  houses,  and  the  liability  to 
storms  in  which  neither  dogs  nor  men  can 
move,  make  it  imperative  to  haul  at  least 
forty-eight  hours'  food  along  with  one.  The 
39 


40    DOWN  NORTH  on  The  LABRADOR 

doctor,  on  the  second  sledge,  carried  the 
medical  and  surgical  supplies  and  a  comple- 
ment of  sleeping  bags,  axe,  rifle  and  snow- 
shoes. 

It  happened  this  year  he  had  for  his  com- 
panion only  a  lad  of  some  sixteen  years.  The 
boy  had  been  given  the  chance  of  this  work 
to  enable  him  to  help  out  his  parents,  and  a 
band  of  smaller  brothers  and  sisters  who  were 
sorely  in  need  of  nearly  everything  that  we 
are  accustomed  to  consider  necessities.  The 
doctor  had  made  the  selection,  though  not 
without  much  misgiving. 

Jimmy's  bright  eyes  and  winsome  face 
made  his  mute  appeal  to  be  given  a  first 
chance  to  earn  something  for  home  almost 
irresistible  to  a  man  with  a  soft  heart  like  the 
doctor.  Yet  the  power  of  endurance  that 
even  a  trifling  accident  might  at  any  time 
demand  was  a  possibility  that  he  could  not 
overlook.  The  journey  meant  i,8oo  miles' 
hard  travelling ;  often,  when  the  going  was 
bad,  the  dogs  would  be  tired,  and  then  all 
hands  would  have  long  distances  to  battle 
through  deep  snow  on  foot.  Indeed  it 
would  often  be  necessary  for  the  men  to 
trudge  ahead  of  the  sledges  for  miles,  beating 
a  pathway  with  their  snow-racquets  for  the 
toiling  teams  behind.     Now  they  would  be 


HOW  JIMMY  MADE  GOOD       41 

half  carrying  sledges  over  hummocks  of  ice, 
now  lowering  them  down  steep  hillsides  that 
it  had  taken  hours  of  still  harder  work  to 
climb — and  yet  from  which  they  derived  no 
benefit. 

The  home  from  which  Jimmy  came  was 
among  the  humblest  of  the  humble  ;  and  one 
might  add,  without  consciously  stretching 
the  truth,  that  it  was  among  the  nakedest 
of  the  naked.  For  the  children  to  take  their 
day  clothes  off  when  going  to  bed  at  night 
would  be  as  sane  a  proceeding  as  to  do  that 
adrift  on  an  ice  pan.  What  is  the  good  of 
taking  off  your  day  clothes  when  you  have 
no  night  clothes  to  replace  them  ?  The  most 
skillfully  made  wood-fires  in  a  small  stove 
will  burn  out  before  morning,  and  Labrador 
climate  in  winter  soon  cools  a  house  down  to 
the  freezing  point.  I  had  on  one  occasion 
given  these  children  an  excellent  large 
blanket,  but  in  twelve  months  all  that  was 
left  of  it  was  in  the  form  of  patches  in 
their  garments.  For,  as  their  philosophic 
mother  remarked,  if  five  boys  all  try  to  get 
under  one  blanket  at  once  every  night,  it  will 
wear  out  in  time. 

The  storeroom  also  was  always  so  near 
the  hunger  line  that,  when,  on  one  occasion, 
I  had  tempted  the  boys  to  taste  some  sweet- 


42    DOWN  NORTH  on  The  LABRADOR 

ened  cocoa,  they  had  been  unable  to  drink 
it,  not  being  accustomed  to  the  taste  of  sugar 
Mother  Hubbard's  experience  is  common  in 
Labrador.  Alas,  these  last  years  often 
enough  not  only  butter  but  molasses  also 
had  been  a  stranger  to  the  household,  and 
even  a  smaller  bit  of  loaf  came  their  way 
than  their  young  and  healthy  appetites  could 
easily  have  disposed  of. 

It  was,  therefore,  a  boisterously  happy  day 
when  the  final  decision  was  at  last  made 
known  to  them  and  Jimmy  was  promoted  by 
the  doctor  to  the  rank  of  a  wage  earner. 

To  make  the  arrangement  feasible  for  the 
boy  to  be  able  to  face  the  Arctic  journey,  he 
had  to  be  newly  fitted  out  from  head  to  toe. 
When  at  length,  in  his  snow-white  kossak 
and  knickers,  trimmed  with  bright  braid  by 
the  nurse,  and  his  new  leather  boots  and  their 
gay  tassels,  Jimmy  stood  all  ready  for  the 
start,  he  looked  such  an  attractive  little  figiire 
with  his  jet  black  hair,  large  dark  eyes  and 
olive  skin,  that  the  doctor  felt  somewhat  rec- 
onciled to  the  risk  he  was  taking  in  relying 
on  so  young  a  comrade  for  all  that  the  long 
trip  might  have  in  store  for  them. 

Nothing  extraordinary  had  happened  while 
they  had  been  journeying  north.  Indeed  the 
new  experience  of  having  all  the  good  food  he 


HOW  JIMMY  MADE  GOOD       43 

needed  had  told  so  favourably  on  Jimmy 
that  when  they  reached  their  northern  limit 
and  began  to  face  south  once  more,  the 
doctor  noted  with  enthusiasm  a  real  improve- 
ment in  his  appearance,  and  was  encouraged 
to  trust  some  responsibility  to  him. 

They  had  been  moving  south  now  for  some 
ten  days,  taking  it  more  or  less  leisurely,  as 
the  winter  showed  no  sign  of  breaking  up 
and  there  were  many  calls  for  the  doctor's 
services  in  the  bays  and  inlets  across  which 
the  line  of  their  travel  lay.  For  the  most 
northern  two  hundred  miles  of  the  distance, 
they  had  hired  new  dogs,  leaving  their  own 
somewhat  played-out  animals  to  recruit  and 
rest  with  friends,  who  were  fortunately  well 
supplied  with  fresh  seal  meat  for  them. 
Their  own  faithful  teams  were  thus  in  over- 
flowing spirits,  when  once  more  they  were 
harnessed  up ;  and  they  needed  no  undue  en- 
couragement when  they  knew  that  their  own 
masters  were  with  them,  and  that  they  them- 
selves were  headed  home.  Only  those  who 
have  handled  a  pack  of  these  huge  Eskimo 
dogs,  which  are  at  their  best  and  wildest  in 
the  coldest  of  winter,  have  any  idea  of  the 
difficulties  of  controlling  teams  such  as  those 
of  the  picked  dogs  the  doctor  is  compelled  to 
collect  for  the  exigencies  of  his  work. 


44    DOWN  NORTH  on  The  LABRADOR 

As  I  have  said,  on  this  particular  day  the 
air  was  muggy  and  damp — an  evil  omen  at 
night,  if  you  have  to  travel  far  on  snow  next 
day ;  and  so  it  proved  to  be  this  time,  for 
when  they  inspanned  before  daylight  next 
morning,  it  was  drizzling  with  rain,  and  a 
sticky,  soft  surface  to  the  snow  made  travelling 
very  difficult. 

Reports  had  reached  the  party  of  an  early 
break-up  further  south,  and  all  were  at  once 
anxious  to  make  no  unnecessary  delays,  for 
fear  of  rivers  and  estuaries  breaking  up  be- 
tween them  and  their  goal.  The  day's  trail 
lay  over  a  neck  of  land  some  fifty  miles 
across,  without  human  habitation, — an  easy 
enough  journey  with  picked  dogs  and  in 
good  weather;  one  that  could  be  accom- 
plished before  lunch.  As  luck  would  have 
it,  however,  when  by  noon  half  the  journey 
was  over,  some  perfectly  fresh  caribou 
tracks  crossed  the  path,  and  as  meat  was 
very  short  and  the  pilot  considered  he  knew 
every  inch  of  the  country  like  a  book,  they 
decided  to  try  to  get  a  shot.  The  two  teams 
were  accordingly  hitched  up  to  tree  stumps 
and  Jimmy  was  told  to  "stand  by"  them, 
while  the  three  men  made  a  circuit  to  cut  off 
the  deer.  Before  starting  they  carefully 
warned  the  boy  not  to  move  from  the  place 


HOW  JIMMY  MADE  GOOD       45 

till  they  should  return.  They  would  not  be 
more  than  an  hour  gone,  whether  they  got 
the  deer  or  didn't.  But  at  any  cost  he  was 
to  •'  stand  by "  where  he  was,  so  that  there 
might  be  no  fear  of  their  missing  him. 

The  fresh  slots  of  the  deer  got  more  invit- 
ing as  the  men  pressed  on,  and  every  moment 
promising  to  bring  them  up  with  their  quarry, 
they  somehow  permitted  the  rapidly  chang- 
ing sky  overhead  to  escape  their  notice,  so 
that  a  sudden  snow-squall  took  them  prac- 
tically unawares.  They  had  scattered  some- 
what to  get  round  their  quarry,  and  it  was  a 
little  while  before  they  could  get  together. 
Since  they  left  the  sledges,  much  more  time 
had  elapsed  than  they  expected,  and  it  was 
agreed  without  wasting  time  in  discussion 
they  must  retrace  their  footsteps  without  de- 
lay. Already,  however,  all  marks  on  the 
snow  had  been  obliterated,  and  they  had  to 
march  in  file,  relying  entirely  on  the  guide's 
knowledge  of  the  countryside.  So  confi- 
dent was  he  of  his  own  ability  that  another 
precious  hour  was  allowed  to  pass  before  the 
doctor  realized  there  might  be  any  doubt 
about  the  direction  they  were  travelling. 

When  at  length,  however,  through  the 
driving  snow-storm  which  had  now  settled 
down  upon  them,  they  found  they  were  fac- 


46    DOWN  NORTH  on  The  LABRADOR 

ing  a  hillside  that  they  certainly  had  not 
crossed  on  their  outward  journey,  the  truth 
suddenly  flashed  upon  them.  A  summons  to 
the  guide  and  close  questioning  showed  that 
he  had  certainly  lost  his  reckoning. 

There  seemed  nothing  to  be  gained  by 
talking,  so  it  was  agreed  at  once  to  keep 
within  calling  distance  of  each  other,  and  tak- 
ing a  spot  of  woods  as  centre,  by  circling  in 
ever-enlarging  circles  and  by  shouting  and 
firing,  to  see  if  perhaps  they  might  get  an 
answer  from  the  boy. 

Though  this  sounds  a  fairly  simple  ar- 
rangement, it  worked  out  as  anything  but 
easy,  and  when,  after  losing  one  another 
temporarily,  and  refinding  one  another  and 
restarting  the  circles,  they  at  length  heard  an 
answer  to  their  shouting,  no  one  could  have 
been  more  surprised  at  the  success  of  their 
efforts  than  themselves.  Now,  once  more, 
they  gathered  together,  and  agreeing  as  to 
the  direction  whence  the  sounds  came,  started 
off  by  compass  in  that  direction.  Half  an 
hour's  hard  walking  brought  them  face  to 
face  once  more  with  the  very  same  hill  rise  that 
had  first  conveyed  to  them  the  information 
that  they  had  lost  their  way.  It  was  now 
getting  dark,  and  the  blizzard  still  continu- 
ing, they  resolved  to  camp,  though  they  had 


HOW  JIMMY  MADE  GOOD       47 

neither  food  nor  axe,  and  though  they  were 
wet  through  with  the  rain  and  snow. 

Fortunately  the  clump  of  trees  they  had 
used  as  a  centre  was,  after  somewhat  of  a 
search,  refound,  and  a  little  protection  pro- 
vided from  the  driving  snow,  while  even  such 
a  fire  as  they  could  make  without  an  axe  was 
no  little  comfort.  After  alternate  watches  all 
night,  it  seemed  rather  hard  to  start  in  the 
morning  without  any  food.  The  only  possible 
substitute  was  obtained  by  emptying  a  two- 
ounce  tin  in  which  the  pilot  carried  his 
tobacco.  This  was  first  boiled  out,  and  then 
served  full  of  boiled  snow  as  a  hot  drink  to 
each  in  turn.  Somewhat  wearily,  steering  by 
compass,  as  the  weather  was  still  thick,  they 
started  in  a  southeast  direction,  thinking  that 
in  that  direction  the  dogs  and  sledges  must 
be. 

On  and  on  they  toiled,  hearing  nothing 
and  seeing  nothing  but  the  ceaseless  falling 
snow.  As  evening  once  more  drew  near,  the 
guide  recognized  that  they  were  crossing  a 
big  river,  and  on  this  he  knew  there  was  a 
hut  specially  built  for  travellers  and  always 
stocked  with  some  food  against  just  such  a 
dilemma.  A  new  spirit  revived  within  them 
when  at  length  they  struck  the  banks  of  the 
river.     But  now  everything  was  deep  in  fresh 


48    DOWN  NORTH  on  The  LABRADOR 

snow ;  only  the  tops  of  bushes  protruded 
above  the  general  level,  and  no  possible  in- 
dication could  be  obtained  as  to  which  way 
they  should  follow  the  stream  to  find  the  food 
and  shelter  they  so  much  needed.  A  con- 
sultation was  hurriedly  held,  and  it  was  de- 
cided to  follow  to  the  eastward. 

It  was  a  hard  struggle  following  the  wind- 
ings of  the  river  bed,  for  the  soft  snow  hid 
all  irregularities,  and  more  than  once  they 
nearly  fell  into  crevices  in  the  heaped  up  ice, 
or  through  "  rattles  "  (rapids),  where  the  boil- 
ing torrent  never  froze.  But  it  seemed  little 
to  them,  with  the  expectation  of  food  and  fire 
ahead.  Mile  after  mile  they  pushed  cheerily 
along  till  slowly  again  it  began  to  dawn  on 
them  that  they  must  have  chosen  the  wrong 
direction,  and  that  it  was  too  late  now  to  re- 
turn. They  had  travelled  eastward  all  after- 
noon.    They  should  have  gone  westward. 

The  claims  of  hunger  began  now  to  be 
more  insistent,  for  they  had  eaten  nothing 
since  the  previous  morning,  so,  halting  in  the 
brush  by  the  riverside,  and  making  the  best 
night  shelter  they  could,  they  kindled  a  fire, 
and  filling  a  skin  glove  with  snow,  melted  it, 
and  then  tried  to  broil  the  skin  out  of  which 
the  glove  was  made  over  the  fire.  It  wasn't 
exactly  an    appetizing   morsel,   but  it  was 


HOW  JIMMY  MADE  GOOD       49 

**  something,"  and  with  hot  water  it  served  to 
slightly  revive  them.  They  supplemented 
their  quota  before  night  by  pieces  of  green 
sealskin  which  they  cut  from  the  legs  of  their 
moccasins. 

The  outlook  the  third  morning  was  so  dis- 
couraging they  were  driven  to  the  decision 
that,  to  save  their  lives,  they  must  now  aban- 
don the  hope  of  finding  the  sledges  and  go 
direct  south  over  hill  and  dale  till  they  should 
strike  the  north  shore  of  Hamilton  Inlet. 
They  would  then  follow  that,  if  their  strength 
held  out,  till  they  should  reach  the  houses  of 
a  tiny  settlement  called  Tikoralak.  What 
had  become  of  Jimmy,  they  couldn't  tell. 
They  had  warned  him  not  to  move  away, 
and  they  knew  that  he  realized  what  it  might 
mean  to  them  if  he  did  go.  But  they  realized 
also  that  he  was  only  a  lad,  that  he  had 
twenty  hungry  Eskimo  dogs  to  handle  ;  and 
that  they  might,  if  he  interfered  with  them, 
at  any  moment  turn  on  him  and  tear  him  to 
pieces.  Probably,  therefore,  he  had  been  un- 
able to  remain  all  that  time  anyhow,  while 
there  could  be  no  doubt  that  Jimmy  knew  if 
he  climbed  up  on  the  komatik,  the  wonder- 
ful instinct  of  the  dogs  would  certainly  carry 
him  to  safety  at  the  nearest  settlement. 

It  was  clear  to  them  all  that  they  couldn't 


50    DOWN  NORTH  on  The  LABRADOR 

hope  now  to  find  him,  so  long  as  the  weather 
remained  thick,  and  that  might  be  till  all 
their  strength  was  gone  and  it  was  too  late. 
It  seemed  also  probable  that  he  must  have 
moved  on,  whether  he  wished  it  or  not,  and 
after  all,  he  was  young— a  mere  boy — and 
they  felt  they  could  forgive  him  if  he  had 
given  them  up  and  tried  to  save  himself. 
There  was  nothing  to  keep  them  now — sleep, 
as  they  were,  was  scarcely  possible  anyhow  ; 
moreover  they  all  recognized  that,  unless 
they  soon  reached  help,  they  would  probably 
never  reach  it  at  all. 

It  was  a  somewhat  desolate  party  that 
trailed  south  in  those  dark  hours  before  day- 
light. Hour  after  hour  went  by,  and  it  seemed 
as  if  the  goal  would  never  be  reached.  But  the 
darkest  hour  is  often  just  before  dawn.  Sud- 
denly, without  any  warning,  the  wind  changed 
to  the  northwest  just  before  daylight,  and  the 
snow-clouds  disappeared  like  dew ;  the  sun 
rose  in  most  exquisite  glory,  flooding  the 
snowy  mantles  of  the  east  with  a  deluge  of 
crimson  and  gold,  and  revealing  just  before 
them  the  shore  line  of  the  fjord  they  were 
in  search  of.  Far  away,  along  its  winding 
shore,  a  small  column  of  smoke  greeted  their 
eyes.  Even  that  was  far  better  than  they 
had  expected,  and  reanimated  by  new  cour- 


HOW  JIMMY  MADE  GOOD       51 

age  that  the  light  and  warmth  gave  them, 
stimulated  by  the  knowledge  now  that  help 
was  close  at  hand,  they  put  their  best  effort 
forth  and  were  soon  once  more  in  safety. 

But  Jimmy  and  the  dogs — what  had  hap- 
pened to  him  ?  There  was  no  news  to  be 
had.  A  messenger  was  sent  at  once  on  to  the 
next  house  and  returned  with  a  similar  re- 
port. Jimmy  must  have  surely  gone  back 
with  his  dogs  to  the  place  they  had  left  last 
on  the  north  side  of  the  neck. 

Anyhow,  a  relief  party  must  instantly  be 
organized  and  despatched,  the  doctor's  party 
being  too  exhausted  to  attempt  to  retrace 
their  steps.  Careful  instructions  were  given 
the  rescuers  as  to  where  the  sledges  had  been 
last  seen.  Fortunately,  as  it  was  certain  they 
had  at  that  time  been  on  the  proper  winter 
trail,  it  was  entirely  unnecessary  to  accom- 
pany the  relief  party  to  make  it  certain  they 
should  recognize  the  spot. 

There  was  much  speculating  as  to  what 
the  result  of  the  search  would  reveal,  but  no 
one  suggested  that  the  boy  would  still  be 
where  they  had  left  him — that  seemed  im- 
possible. 

There  is  a  kind  of  sixth  sense  among  these 
trappers  and  lonely  settlers,  which  seems  de- 
veloped  to   supply   the   place  of  telegraph, 


52    DOWN  NORTH  on  The  LABRADOR 

telephone  and  rapid  transit.  They  seem 
often  to  divine  somehow  what  others  are 
likely  to  be  doing,  or  to  be  experiencing. 
But  this  time  they  were  all  doomed  to  be 
mistaken.  Before  they  left,  they  had  all  de- 
cided that  either  the  dogs  had  eaten  Jimmy, 
or  they  had  all  gone  back  on  their  trail  and 
safely  lodged  somewhere  were  just  waiting 
events.  That  is  just  where  they  were  all  of 
them  wrong.  When  they  neared  the  spot  in- 
dicated by  the  doctor,  some  black  dots  in  the 
distance  greeted  their  astonished  gaze.  No 
signs  of  death  or  destruction  developed  as 
they  drew  nearer.  As  in  their  excitement 
they  covered  the  last  mile  at  a  stretch  gallop, 
the  scene  before  them  assumed  the  very  or- 
dinary proportions  of  two  large  dog  teams 
harnessed  to  two  loaded  sledges,  and  a  small 
boy  patrolling  quite  quietly  up  and  down  be- 
tween them.  A  lump  rose  in  some  of  their 
throats  as  they  realized  that  little  Jimmy 
Hampton  was  still  "  standing  by." 


IV 

A  Venture  in  Economics 

SAM  CARREL'S  house  stood  on  the 
extreme  end  of  the  southern  bank  of 
Big  River — a  site  selected  as  a  com- 
promise between  the  fur  path  in  winter  and 
the  fishing  ground  in  the  summer,  out  of 
both  of  which  he  made,  or  tried  to  make,  a 
living.  The  isolation  of  the  position  was  also 
a  compromise,  for  when  Sam,  as  a  young 
man,  had  decided  to  settle  on  the  coast,  his 
choice  of  a  suitable  spot  had  wavered  between 
a  region  where  game  might  be  expected  to 
be  more  plentiful  and  one  where  his  pro- 
spective family  might  enjoy  some  of  the  ad- 
vantages of  social  life.  His  mind  was  largely 
influenced  by  the  experiences  of  his  own 
youth.  His  father's  had  been  a  very  large 
family,  and  he  had  never  quite  won  out  in 
competition  with  his  neighbours  in  the  New- 
foundland village.  Indeed,  it  was  that  stern 
mother,  necessity,  that  had  forced  Sam  at  the 
age  of  twenty-two  to  leave  his  own  country 
with  his  young  wife  and  to  search  for  his  land 
of  promise  in  Labrador. 
The  conundrum  as  to  why  any  man  should 
53 


54    DOWN  NORTH  on  The  LABRADOR 

have  settled  in  such  an  utterly  lonely  place  is, 
therefore,  not  so  hard  to  solve  as  it  might  at 
first  appear.  That  it  was  not  necessarily  an 
altogether  mistaken  conclusion  he  eventually 
arrived  at  before  he  started  to  build  his  house 
on  the  point,  is  testified  to  by  the  fact  that  for 
many  years,  till  his  family  became  unwieldy, 
he  got  along  well  enough. 

However,  when  baby  number  eight  made 
his  appearance  while  baby  number  one  was 
still  little  better  than  a  "  toe  biter,"  one  eco- 
nomic feature  peculiar  to  isolation  began  to 
make  itself  painfully  felt.  He  still  caught  as 
much  fish  as  any  man,  and  did  better  with 
salmon,  seals,  and  fur  than  most.  But  the 
lack  of  competition  in  the  only  market  he 
knew  how  to  reach  told  so  heavily  on  the 
prices  of  his  own  produce,  and  the  essentials 
of  life  for  which  he  had  to  barter  it,  that  the 
truth  was  gradually  forced  upon  him  that  he 
could  no  longer  provide  his  family  with  even 
bare  necessities.  His  thrifty  wife  altered  and 
patched  the  clothing  as  it  descended  from 
one  to  another  of  the  family.  But  long  be- 
fore it  reached  the  last  candidate  even  she 
herself  could  scarcely  tell  which  patch  the 
original  garment  had  resembled.  The  house 
became  barer  and  barer — the  larder  emptier 
and  emptier — the  family  nakeder  and  nakeder. 


A  VENTURE  in  ECONOMICS     55 

In  cold  weather  the  children  had  to  huddle 
behind  the  stove  for  warmth,  and  eventually 
were  unable  to  go  outside,  even  in  the  day- 
time. The  house  itself  had  to  be  contracted 
to  make  it  warmer.  The  nets,  through  age, 
were  no  longer  reliable,  for  Sam  could  not 
afford  "to  reach  to  more  twine."  His  chances 
for  fur  grew  less  and  less,  for  his  traps  got  lost 
and  rusted  out,  and  he  was  unable  to  replace 
them.  It  was  even  hard  to  find  paint  and 
nails  and  ropes  for  his  fishing  boat,  or  powder 
and  shot  and  caps  for  his  gun — moreover, 
that  trusty  but  somewhat  antiquated  weapon 
was  beginning  to  show  signs  of  being  as 
dangerous  at  the  breach  end  as  at  the  muzzle. 
"  She  would  no  longer  carry  a  ball  true  " — ■ 
which  lost  the  family  more  than  one  dinner. 

Such  was  the  condition  when  first  I  knew 
Sam  Carrel.  He  had  sunk  deep  into  poverty. 
His  children  were  ignorant,  half  naked,  and 
half  nourished.  Alas,  his  own  physical  con- 
dition was  telling  also  on  his  enthusiasm  for 
making  the  best  of  the  situation,  and  dis- 
couraging his  efforts.  A  hasty  judgment 
might  have  called  him  a  lazy  fellow,  his 
family  dirty  and  unkempt,  his  house  a  miser- 
able shack — every  single  thing  he  owned  in 
need  of  repairing.  With  such  undeserved 
conclusions  many  men  anyway  dismiss  their 


56    DOWN  NORTH  on  The  LABRADOR 

responsibility  to  their  neighbours.  It  would 
have  been  quite  wrong  in  this  case,  for  I  have 
come  to  know  Sam  well.  It  has  been  my 
privilege  during  the  succeeding  years  to  be 
able  to  render  some  slight  services  to  my 
friend.  Some  of  these  were  but  sorrowful 
ones  at  best.  One  of  his  little  lads  I  had 
carried  away  to  our  hospital,  to  die  there  of 
consumption  induced  by  their  poverty — to 
die  without  seeing  his  father  and  mother 
again.  Once  when  Sam  had  secured  a  good 
fox  I  had  been  able  to  carry  it  to  market 
myself  and  change  it  into  flour,  molasses, 
tea,  and  other  necessities  under  circum- 
stances very  favourable  to  Sam.  His  family 
were  all  away  when  on  my  return  journey  in 
my  own  little  steamer  I  anchored  once  more 
off  his  house.  The  picture  of  the  barrels  and 
bales  we  landed  on  the  beach  and  fortified 
with  logs  and  stakes  to  fend  off  the  attacks 
of  the  somewhat  plentiful  wolves  while  his 
supplies  awaited  his  return,  still  rises  vividly 
to  my  mind. 

So  things  continued  till  the  competition  of 
his  own  sons'  families,  which  were  settled 
around  him,  and  one  or  two  new  arrivals, 
made  it  still  harder  to  get  ahead. 

It  was  late  one  fall,  several  years  later, 
when  it  so  happened  we  dropped  anchor  in 


A  VENTURE  in  ECONOMICS      57 

2l  heavy  breeze  of  wind  under  the  lee  of  some 
islands  near  the  mouth  of  Big  Brook.  We 
had  somehow  lost  sight  of  Sam  of  late,  and 
his  fight  for  existence  was  more  or  less  com- 
pletely out  of  mind.  But  before  turning  in 
for  the  night  the  bump  of  a  boat  alongside 
brought  me  on  deck.  My  joy  at  recognizing 
my  old  friend  was,  however,  greatly  modified 
by  the  obvious  impression  the  battle  of  life 
had  left  on  him.  I  had  no  need  to  humiliate 
him  by  waiting  for  him  to  state  in  so  many 
words  that  he  was  "  on  his  beams  ends."  I 
knew  that  fishery  in  the  region  had  been 
very  poor. 

"  I  may  as  well  own  it,  doctor,"  he  said 
when  at  last  the  comfort  of  the  cabin  had 
given  him  confidence  to  say  anything,  "  we 
shall  starve  this  winter  if  you  can't  do  some- 
thing for  us.  The  Southerners  are  gone,  and 
owing  to  their  bad  fishery  they  left  nothing 
here  for  the  winter.  And  we  couldn't  get  the 
credit  of  a  barrel  of  flour  against  our  winter's 
hunt.  I  know  you've  your  hands  full.  But 
when  I  saw  your  smoke,  and  then  you  an- 
chored right  oflE  where  we  was  staying,  I 
thought  I  was  meant  to  come  off  and  tell 
you,  and  that's  all  there  is  to  it." 

"  How  many  of  you  are  there  now  around 
here?"  I  asked. 


58    DOWN  NORTH  on  The  LABRADOR 

"We're  six  of  us  now  in  all,  and  then 
there's  Jack  and  his  two  little  ones  and 
there's  the  two  families  on  the  point ;  and 
then  Tom  up  the  bay  and  his  crowd.  There 
must  be  between  forty  and  fifty,  all  told, 
doctor." 

"Let  me  see,  how  long  will  it  be  before 
you  can  get  supplies  again  ?  " 

"Nigh  eight  months,"  was  his  answer. 
"You  can't  count  on  them  Southerners 
getting  through  the  ice  till  well  into  July, 
anyhow." 

"  Humph !  That  means  a  heap  of  pro- 
visions, doesn't  it?  Let's  reckon  up  how 
much  it  does  mean.  There's  the  seals  will 
be  in  soon,  and  that  will  give  you  some  fat. 
And  you  have  the  ducks  passing  along 
directly — we'll  have  to  see  the  first  to  the 
powder  being  obtainable.  Then  you  have 
got  to  have  some  clothing.  You  can't  work 
a  fur  path  in  winter  without  some.  Fortu- 
nately, I  want  some  fire-wood  cut  down  here 
somewhere  and  I  shall  be  able  to  send  you 
down  some  warm  things  I've  collected  to 
pay  for  it.  That  will  be  a  start.  But  how 
shall  we  get  the  flour  and  the  pork  ?  " 

It  proved  to  be  an  all-night  sitting,  and  it 
was  almost  time  to  get  our  anchors  up  again 
and  be  off  on  our  journey  south  before  Sam  and 


A  VENTURE  in  ECONOMICS     59 

I  had  evolved  a  plan  which  would  in  any  way 
solve  the  problem  without  risking  the  pauper- 
ization of  all  concerned  and  reducing  them  to 
the  position  of  dependence  on  the  govern- 
ment or  private  charity.  Matters  were  com- 
plicated by  Sam's  inability  to  compass  the 
three  R's — in  which  occult  sciences,  unfor- 
tunately, none  of  his  offspring  or  neighbours 
could  help  him  much. 

The  first  decision  to  which  we  could  find  no 
alternative  was  that  for  once  I  should  become 
a  patron  of  that  which  of  all  things  I  have 
fought  against — the  credit  system,  and  should 
advance  food  and  necessities  against  their 
prospective  catches.  How  it  should  be  done 
was  the  difficulty.  How  could  goods  be  is- 
sued with  any  likelihood  of  being  paid  for, 
with  so  little  to  commence  on,  and  with  no 
one  to  keep  accounts  ? 

Fortunately,  much  of  that  which  was  lost 
owing  to  the  absence  of  artificial  advantages 
is  often  enough  supplied  by  native  wit  to  our 
Labrador  friends.  It  was  Sam  himself  who 
evolved  the  solution  upon  which  at  last  we 
decided.  All  the  goods  were  to  be  sent  to  his 
care,  the  exact  price  at  which  each  article 
could  be  sold  was  to  be  absolutely  fixed  and 
marked  up  in  plain  Roman  figures  which  his 
wife  could  decipher.     Meanwhile  he  was  to 


6o    DOWN  NORTH  on  The  LABRADOR 

find  out  the  best  prices  offered  on  the  coast 
that  winter  for  each  kind  of  marketable  prod- 
uct he  could  accept  in  return,  including  all 
skins,  such  as  otters,  fox,  ermine,  martens  ; 
also  seal  oil,  sealskins,  feathers,  and  indeed 
anything  else  that  would  be  saleable.  Against 
these  he  was  to  trade  his  goods.  The  prices 
marked  included  a  small  profit  for  himself. 
But  as  he  himself  expected  a  deficit  almost  as 
fully  as  experience  taught  me  to,  we  neither 
of  us  counted  that  as  a  part  of  the  project. 
Furthermore,  he  was  to  estimate  how  long 
each  neighbour  could  last  out  before  he  sold 
any  of  his  supplies.  As  the  total  supply 
would  certainly  be  a  minimum  needed,  he 
was  to  hold  on  to  each  article  as  long  as  pos- 
sible, that  only  the  neediest  should  obtain  it. 

Before  winter  finally  set  in  I  had  a  cheery 
word  from  him,  written  in  what  I  might  call 
"  cipher "  by  his  wife,  saying  the  supplies 
had  arrived  and  that  he  himself  had  had  to 
begin  on  one  of  the  new  barrels  of  flour  that 
very  day. 

During  the  early  winter,  for  the  first  time 
in  Labrador,  a  mail  courier  crossed  the  Straits 
of  Belle  Isle  on  the  ice.  He  had  made  an 
unsuccessful  attempt  with  a  tiny  wood  boat 
and  one  companion  who,  since  they  had 
nearly  lost  their  lives  in  the  first  effort,  re- 


A  FISHING   SCHOONER  IN  THE  SPRING  ICE 


IT  WAS  A  LATE  SPRING  NEXT  YEAR  ON  THE  COAST" 


A  VENTURE  in  ECONOMICS     6i 

fused  to  venture  with  him  again.  He  then 
built  a  still  smaller  canoe  of  canvas,  which  he 
could  carry  when  necessary  by  himself,  and 
had  safely  crossed  to  the  place  where  we 
were  wintering  on  the  south  side  of  the 
Straits. 

Word  had  meantime  reached  us  that  there 
had  been  a  rise  in  the  prices  of  furs — more 
especially  in  those  kinds  I  expected  Sam 
would  have  secured.  On  his  return  the 
mail  man  took  down  letters  informing  the 
trappers  of  the  good  news  and  advising  them 
not  to  sell  their  furs  if  they  could  afford  to 
keep  them. 

It  was  a  late  spring  next  year  on  the  coast. 
Moreover,  our  vessel  was  itself  delayed,  and 
August  was  nearly  gone  before  once  again 
we  saw  Sam's  fishing  punt  pulling  alongside. 
We  had  been  speculating  considerably  as  to 
how  this  particular  experiment  would  turn 
out,  for,  judging  by  the  history  of  Sam's  past 
years  there  seemed  no  doubt  that,  now  that 
it  was  necessary  to  settle  up,  we  should  be 
called  on  to  meet  a  goodly  deficit.  There 
was  one  satisfaction,  anyhow.  Sam  himself 
looked  ten  years  younger  as  he  climbed  over 
the  rail,  and  we  all  noticed  he  shook  hands 
with  a  vigour  thathad  not  been  his  for  some 
time  past 


62    DOWN  NORTH  on  The  LABRADOR 

"  I  think  it's  all  right,  doctor,"  were  prac- 
tically his  first  words.  To  him  the  matter  of 
meeting  that  debt  was  the  biggest  thing  on 
earth.  The  transparency  of  his  intense  keen- 
ness to  come  out  square  was  perfectly  delight- 
ful. We  had  supposed,  of  course,  that  as  all 
the  fur  buyers  had  come  and  gone  long  ago, 
he  would  of  necessity  have  parted  with  his 
returns.  He  could  so  easily  have  done  so, 
and  with  the  money  have  purchased  supplies 
for  the  summer  from  the  new  arrivals.  Nor 
did  it  take  any  particular  acumen  to  see  he 
stood  sorely  in  need  of  them.  Most  men 
would  most  certainly  have  done  this,  and 
would  thereby  have  involved  us,  willy-nilly, 
in  a  venture  against  their  summer  catch, 
though  they  knew  we  would  have  to  pay  for 
their  winter  supplies  at  once. 

"  It's  all  in  a  barrel  headed  up  for  you,"  he 
went  on  without  waiting  for  any  questions. 
"  Won't  you  come  ashore  and  see  it  ?  I 
thought  you'd  likely  get  more  than  I  could 
for  it,  so  I  just  held  on  to  it.  It  was  a  bit 
hard  till  the  fish  came  along,  but  it's  all  right 
now." 

People  differ  as  to  what  "  all  right " 
describes.  I  confess  if  the  only  flour  barrel 
in  my  house  that  wasn't  empty  contained 
dry  skins,  I  should  alter  it  to  "all  wrong." 


A   VENTURE  in  ECONOMICS      63 

But  Sam  and  his  family  had  learned  in  the 
school  of  adversity  what  it  meant  to  "  scrab- 
ble along,"  and  the  occasional  pinch  of 
hunger  it  entailed  was  honestly  more  than 
repaid  him  now  when  he  knocked  the  head 
in  and  pulled  the  skins  one  by  one  out  of  the 
barrel. 

The  wireless  outfit  on  our  ship  enabled  us 
to  arrange  a  meeting  with  the  Southern  fur 
buyers,  and  thus  we  were  able  to  sell  the  furs 
and  visit  Sam  once  more  before  winter. 

This  time  we  were  more  eager  than  he  to 
bear  the  news.  With  a  sense  of  duty  done 
he  had  busied  himself  with  the  fishing,  and 
the  excitement  of  the  incident  had  subsided 
when  he  had  handed  over  the  barrel.  This 
time  our  boat  was  out  first  and  we  were  up  at 
his  cottage  before  he  had  pitched  the  fish  out 
of  his  boat,  fastened  her  up  and  reached  his 
own  doorway. 

"  Well,  Sam,"  I  asked,  "  how  do  you  think 
it  turned  out  ?  Do  I  owe  you  a  winter's 
diet  again,  or  do  you  owe  me  your  summer's 
fish  ?  " 

Sam  said  nothing.  He  just  pulled  off  his 
old  "sou'wester,"  his  friend  of  many  years, 
and  stood  scratching  his  head  in  "  offish 
thought."  At  last  he  ventured,  "  I'm  reck- 
oning, doctor,  there  ain't  much  between  us. 


64   DOWN  NORTH  on  The  LABRADOR 

But  so  be  there's  a  dollar  coming  my  way, 
I'd  say  nothing  against  it." 

*'  The  balance  is  down  in  your  favour,  Sam. 
Guess  how  much  ?  " 

"^I've  no  idea,  doctor,  no  more'n  a  child. 
But  I  wouldn't  take  no  more  than  twenty 
dollars,  anyhow." 

"  Oh,  yes  you  will.  You'll  take  all  there 
is.  I've  sent  the  money  for  the  goods  long 
ago." 

"  Square's  square,"  he  repeated  two  or 
three  times.  "  Twenty  dollars  is  more'n 
enough  for  what  I  done,  but  I'm  that  glad 
you'se  is  paid.  I'd  be  more'n  satisfied  if 
there  weren't  none  left  over." 

"  Well,  there's  one  hundred  and  thirty- 
seven  dollars,  Sam,  and  you'll  just  take 
every  cent  or  I'll  throw  it  overboard.  Why, 
I  can  get  you  a  new  gun,  a  breech-loader 
with  the  gear,  and  a  lot  of  new  traps,  and 
some  twine  for  the  old  nets.  And  please 
God  then  there'll  be  something  left  over  for 
a  few  things  for  the  '  old  lady.'  " 

By  a  strange  coincidence  it  proved  this 
very  day  to  be  Sam's  birthday.  Our  cook, 
who  had  gone  ashore  to  forage  for  some 
fresh  food  supplies,  had  discovered  his  wife 
mixing  a  few  spoonfuls  of  the  ever-scarce 
molasses  into  the  loaf  she  was  baking,  that 


A  VENTURE  in  ECONOMICS     65 

the  family  might,  in  "  lassie  loaf,"  have  the 
nearest  approach  to  a  birthday  cake  they 
could  afford,  wherewith  to  celebrate  the 
occasion.  This  had  given  away  the  secret 
and  the  good  fellow  had  called  me  out 
privately  to  know  if  he  mightn't  give  them 
a  little  surprise  from  our  galley.  Incident- 
ally, also,  we  sent  up  a  "  drop  o'  kerosene " 
and  a  few  candles,  the  lighting  of  which  was 
to  be  the  signal  to  us  on  board  that  the  feast 
was  beginning. 

Of  course  we  walked  in  by  accident  and 
joined  the  fun,  for  we  had  looked  up  a  few 
little  things  to  serve  as  birthday  gifts.  The 
feast  was  a  noble  one.  "  Figgy  duff,"  a  big 
boiling  of  family-mess  pork,  some  crackers, 
a  tin  of  condensed  milk,  a  pot  of  real  jam 
(not  Labrador  berries),  and  some  apples. 
There  were  so  many  of  us  present  we  had  to 
let  the  fire  go  out  as  well  as  keep  the  door 
and  window  open,  and  though  every  box 
and  loose  plank  was  requisitioned  for  seats, 
the  old  chopping  block  had  to  be  brought  in 
to  help  out.  It  was  a  most  festive  occasion, 
a  real  opportunity  to  "rejoice  with  those 
that  do  rejoice." 

Later  in  the  evening,  when  we  had  seen 
that  there  was  ammunition  for  every  pipe 
and  could  as  a  consequence  now  scarcely  see 


66   DOWN  NORTH  on  The  LABRADOR 

each  other,  I  told  Sam  how  an  exactly 
similar  experiment  had  failed  that  I  had 
tried  with  another  man  at  the  same  time 
who  lived  fifty  miles  further  south.  The 
cause  had  been  that  he  had  used  the  money 
obtained  for  his  fur  supply  for  a  summer 
outfit,  and  had  not  been  able  to  repay  it. 

"  I  hardly  know  what  to  do,  Sam.  I 
really  can't  afford  to  do  it  again.  When  you 
find  you  can't  trust  a  man  once,  you  don't 
feel  like  helping  him  again,  do  you  ?  " 

"  No,  doctor,  I  can't  say  you  does.  But 
it  isn't  just  as  easy  to  hold  out  as  some 
might  think." 

"  Yes,  but  I  don't  see  how  I  can  give  him 
another  chance." 

"That's  what  always  seems  so  queer 
about  the  old  Book,  doctor.  It  seems  we 
has  such  a  lot  of  chances." 

I  hardly  knew  what  to  say  at  first,  so  we 
relapsed  into  silence  for  a  minute  or  two 
while  we  nursed  our  pipes.  Suddenly  Sam 
looked  up,  a  gleam  in  his  eye  as  if  he  had  at 
least  spied  a  good  fur  within  reach  of  his 
gun. 

"  I've  got  it,  doctor ;  suppose  we  lends  him 
that  hundred  dollars." 

But  I  had  learned  a  lesson  that  it  would 
have    cost   many  dollars   to   obtain   in   the 


A   VENTURE  in  ECONOMICS      67 

schools — and  I  managed  to  get  my  anchors 
and  leave  Sam  sufficiently  pacified  with  the 
plan  I  outlined,  to  enable  me  to  send  him  the 
whole  hundred  and  thirty-seven  dollars  for 
his  own  use,  if  he  ever  does  use  anything 
solely  for  himself. 

So  this  was  how  Sam  Carrel  came  by  his 
new  lease  of  life.  His  balance  bought  him 
the  new  outfit,  for  want  of  which  he  was 
gradually  starving.  He  knew  well  enough 
how  to  value  his  acquisitions  and  to  use 
them  to  the  best  of  his  ability — and  so  no 
one  has  ever  ventured  to  say  to  us  he  didn't 
well  deserve  to  have  them. 


Given  to  Hospitality 

OLD  Uncle  Malcolm  of  Dove  Brook, 
Labrador,  was  a  world  citizen.  For 
though  born  on  the  shores  of  New- 
foundland, he  had  ranged  the  seven  seas  in 
his  youth  in  every  kind  of  craft  and  in  every 
kind  of  clime.  But  his  "  time  came,"  as  they 
say  on  this  coast,  as  everybody's  else  does. 
For  after  a  harder  trip  than  usual,  reaching 
his  native  shore  and  tired  of  roaming,  he  had 
sought  and  won  the  hand  of  as  true  a  partner 
as  it  was  ever  man's  good  fortune  to  fall  in 
with. 

Fishing  had  been  Uncle  Malcolm's  boy- 
hood occupation  and  that  of  his  father  and 
forefathers  before  him,  so  he  had  no  diffi- 
culty in  finding  a  calling  that  was  at  once 
congenial  and  would  support  him  nearer 
home.  It  was  all  the  pleasanter  that  that 
industry  afforded  a  livelihood  to  the  bulk  of 
his  neighbours  also. 

The  "  shore  fishery  "  as  it  was  called,  that 
is,  the  cod  fishery  in  their  own  bays  in  New- 
foundland, was  for  some  reason  then  just  be- 
68 


GIVEN  to  HOSPITALITY         69 

ginning  to  fail,  and  the  bolder  souls  were 
venturing  further  down  north  each  year ; 
crossing  the  Straits  of  Belle  Isle  and  cruising 
the  rock-bound  coast  of  Labrador  in  search 
of  fish.  Among  these  it  was  but  natural  to 
find  Malcolm.  When  the  fall  commenced 
and  ice  beset  the  Labrador  harbours,  Uncle 
Malcolm's  craft,  which  he  had  first  partially- 
mortgaged  on  the  strength  of  his  savings  as 
a  sailor  and  had  then  paid  off  from  his  voy- 
ages of  fish,  used  always  to  repair  to  the 
"  bay  "  and  "  lie  up  "  for  the  winter,  waiting 
the  new  fitout  for  the  succeeding  year.  On 
all  his  trips  his  good  wife  accompanied  him, 
cooking  for  him  on  the  schooner  and  helping 
him  "  put  away  "  the  fish,  enjoying,  as  she 
used  to  tell  me,  "  every  bit  of  the  voyage," 
for  she  too  had  the  genius  of  the  sea  in  her 
bones,  an  heirloom  from  many  generations 
past. 

But  as  time  went  on  little  ones  were  given 
to  Uncle  Malcolm,  and  it  became  harder  and 
harder  to  close  the  home  for  six  months  and 
carry  the  children  among  the  dangers  of  the 
Labrador  coast,  more  especially  as  every 
year  the  "  snapper  "  fishermen  were  pushing 
further  and  further  north,  where  the  coast  is 
not  only  unlighted  and  unmarked  but  also 
unsurveyed  and  uncharted. 


70    DOWN  NORTH  on  The  LABRADOR 

At  last  the  question  had  to  be  settled,  as 
with  many  others,  should  the  wife  and  chil- 
dren stay  home  while  "  dad  "  took  his  vessel 
on  her  perilous  journeys,  or  should  they 
"  find  a  place  "  on  the  Labrador  coast  itself 
where  fish  was  plentiful,  and  selling  the 
schooner  should  they  abandon  the  long 
cruises  and  enjoy  a  home  life,  even  if  it  in- 
volved the  isolation  of  the  then  almost  un- 
populated country  ? 

To  Uncle  Malcolm  moving  was  as  second 
nature  and  a  move  of  five  hundred  miles  one 
way  or  the  other  with  him  did  not  count  for 
much.  But  to  the  wife  and  bairns  the  break- 
ing up  of  the  home  and  the  leaving  of  her 
people  were  matters  of  great  difficulty.  For 
a  long  while  she  felt  she  could  not  leave  the 
old  folks.  But  eventually  her  love  for  her 
husband  rang  true.  To  be  near  him  being 
her  chief  end  in  life,  and  loving  the  simple 
home  ties  more  than  ought  else,  she  at  last 
gave  her  consent  and  the  whole  family  mi- 
grated, settling  on  the  shores  of  a  huge  inlet. 

The  new  home  was  far  enough  in  from  the 
open  sea  to  have  trees  enough  for  fire-wood 
and  for  protection,  growing  close  alongside 
the  house  ;  and  was  near  enough  to  good 
trapping  grounds  to  give  Uncle  Malcolm  a 
chance  of  furring  in  winter,  without  his  hav- 


GIVEN  to  HOSPITALITY  71 

ing  to  live  practically  the  whole  time  away 
in  tilts  on  the  fur  path.  Yet  the  chosen  spot 
was  near  enough  to  the  open  sea  that  in  their 
small  boat  he  and  his  boys  could  also  work 
nets  and  lines  for  the  abundant  cod  fishery  in 
the  fall,  while  from  the  point  jutting  out  be- 
low the  house  and  forming  their  little  boat 
harbour,  they  could  also  tend  salmon  nets 
and  so  add  yet  another  string  to  their  bows 
for  earning  a  living  with.  Excellent  berries 
grew  in  extravagant  plenty  on  the  hillsides 
above  the  house  and  no  one  could  preserve 
them  better  than  Aunt  Anne  ;  and  along  the 
land  was  enough  grass  to  keep  his  goat  all 
winter  in  hay. 

It  might  be  supposed  that  with  his  long 
wanderings  "  before  the  mast "  the  sweetness 
and  simplicity  of  Uncle  Malcolm's  character 
might  have  been  much  impaired.  But  this  was 
far  from  being  the  case.  The  strong  religious 
upbringing  of  his  old  home  had  been  so  real, 
so  fine,  and  so  exemplified  in  the  lives  of  his 
own  parents,  that  he  had  imbibed  his  Bible 
teachings  to  as  good  purpose  as  he  had  his 
mother's  milk  ;  and  that  was  to  very  consid- 
erable purpose,  for  Uncle  Malcolm  stood  well 
over  six  feet  and  was  far  beyond  the  average 
in  chest  measurement.  He  stood  as  erect  as 
a  soldier,  but  when  first  I  knew  him,  his  hair 


72    DOWN  NORTH  on  The  LABRADOR 

and  beard,  both  of  which  hung  in  wavy 
abundance  around  his  honest  weather-beaten 
face,  were  already  gray-flecked.  For  twenty 
years  he  has  been  my  friend  now.  And  if  I 
were  asked  to  name  a  man  who,  in  spite  of  a 
strong  personality  and  no  little  "  temper  of 
his  own  "  has  always  appeared  to  me  to  de- 
serve the  title  of  a  man,  with  the  prefix  of 
Christian  before  it,  I  should  unhesitatingly 
say,  "  You  needn't  go  beyond  Uncle  Mal- 
colm." 

For  many  years  things  material  went  well 
with  the  family  and  under  their  hands  grew 
up  a  fine  house  with  a  large,  airy  kitchen, 
which  had  twice  to  be  enlarged,  as  the  family 
grew  and  visitors  and  friends  on  pleasure 
cruises  also  grew  more  and  more  numerous. 
Aunt  Anne's  table  was  seldom,  if  ever,  clear 
of  refreshments.  For  no  one  may  arrive  at 
any  time  of  the  day  or  night  without  being 
pressed  to  "  sit  in  "  and  "  take  a  cup  o'  tea.'* 
I've  known  more  folk  "  stopping  off  here 
over  Sunday  "  as  they  passed  along  the  kom- 
atik  road  in  winter  with  their  dogs  than  ever 
I  saw  in  a  house  party  at  a  country  house 
ten  times  the  size.  "It  was  all  very  well 
them  times,"  said  a  sententious  neighbour, 
"  but  nothing  could  stand  agin  that  of  late 
years.     When  times  began  to  get  bad  in  the 


GIVEN  to  HOSPITALITY  y^ 

bay  half  the  shore  took  to  cruising,  and  them 
that  brought  up  at  Uncle  Malcolm's  fairly  ate 
him  out  o'  house  and  home." 

For  things  have  changed  both  with  the 
coast  and  with  Uncle  Malcolm  since  first  I 
knew  him,  and  it  is  that  that  caused  me  to 
write  this  story.  To  begin  with,  the  Nemesis 
that  overtook  the  Newfoundland  shore  fish- 
eries has  pursued  them  also  to  Labrador  and 
of  late  the  fisheries  have  "  been  that  uncertain" 
that  a  man  "  could  no  longer  do  as  he'd  wish 
to  in  providing  hospitality  for  his  neigh- 
bours," though,  like  Lot,  these  good  folk  were 
ever  on  the  lookout  for  strangers.  The  years 
have  dealt  hardly  also  with  Uncle  Malcolm. 
One  of  his  lads  has  left  him  for  those  shores 
where  "  bar'les  "  of  flour  and  gallons  of  mo- 
lasses no  longer  are  subjects  of  anxiety  ;  one, 
following  the  footsteps  of  his  father,  has  gone 
to  sea,  joining  the  crew  of  an  oversea  brig- 
antine  that  carried  fish  to  Spain  and  has  not 
been  heard  of  since.  A  third  is  in  "  the 
States,"  doing  well,  but  his  letters  of  late 
years  have  been  only  "  scattered,"  and  there 
is  little  likelihood  of  Malcolm  ever  seeing  him 
again.  His  devoted  wife  has  gone  also  be- 
fore him,  and  only  his  youngest  boy,  Anthony, 
is  left. 

It  would  seem  as  if  it  would  be  no  difficult 


74    DOWN  NORTH  on  The  LABRADOR 

matter  for  these  two  to  provide  for  themselves 
all  that  was  needed.  I  could  not  help  notic- 
ing, however,  as  successive  seasons  brought 
us  in  the  mission  vessel  once  more  to  Uncle 
Malcolm's  door,  that  the  house  looked  barer 
each  time ;  and  though  a  brave  show  of  hos- 
pitality was  still  made  to  us  all  on  our  arrival, 
there  was  now  no  milk  for  our  tea,  and  even 
the  bit  of  sugar  gave  place  to  molasses.  Still 
the  home  was  kept  scrupulously  clean,  though 
the  bright,  home-made  rag  mats  gradually 
disappeared  from  the  floors,  and  all  the  many 
little  tokens  of  a  woman's  handiwork  followed 
in  their  wake.  The  maid,  whom  he  fed  and 
clothed  in  return  for  doing  "  his  rough  work," 
displayed  a  spirit  worthy  of  her  master  in 
her  use  of  the  scrubbing  brush,  soap  and 
water,  and  she  had  succeeded  in  inducing 
such  a  sense  of  utter  nakedness  in  the  great 
kitchen  that  unavoidably  a  sense  of  sadness 
filled  one  on  entering  it. 

The  old  man,  with  the  grit  that  always 
characterized  him,  was  silent  on  all  personal 
matters,  and  appreciating  the  self-respect 
which  held  him  from  reposing  his  confidences 
in  me,  I  came  and  went  without  broaching 
the  subject  of  his  ways  and  means.  At  last 
what  he  could  not  bring  himself  to  say  he 
put  in  writing — an  acquirement  he  had  to 


GIVEN  to  HOSPITALITY         75 

thank  his  early  sailing  days  for — and  I  re- 
ceived a  letter  asking  me  to  refer  to  these 
matters  on  my  next  visit. 

Uncle  Malcolm  had  now  passed  the  three- 
score and  ten  years  allotted  by  the  Psalmist 
as  the  years  of  our  strength,  and  in  spite  of 
his  erect  figure,  his  clear  eye,  his  steady  hand, 
it  was  not  difficult  to  see  that  in  his  case  this 
span  of  years  was  probably  approximately 
correct.  The  hard  life  had  told  on  his  vitality 
and  he  was  no  longer  the  man  he  had  been. 

**  It's  this  way,  doctor,"  he  exclaimed,  when 
at  last  his  door  was  shut  and  we  found  our- 
selves alone  together.  "The  cupboard  is 
bare  at  last.  There  has  been  hard  times  these 
three  years.  The  neighbours  get  that  numer- 
ous they  have  driven  most  of  the  fur  away. 
I  got  ne'er  a  skin  last  winter,  and  how  I'm 
going  to  get  through  this  winter  I  can't  tell. 
No,  I  owes  no  man  anything,  thank  God,  and 
what  bit  o'  flour  Anthony  and  the  maid  eats 
don't  amount  to  anything.  But  you  see  how 
it  is,  doctor,  it  isn't  ourselves  we  have  to  look 
for  only.  There  isn't  a  family  to  the  west- 
ward what  isn't  in  debt  to  the  company,  nor 
to  the  eastward  either,  this  side  the  big  river, 
and  when  them's  hungry  in  winter  what's  them 
to  do  ?  They  can't  get  no  more  credit. 
Lots  o'  them  haven't  got  no  credit  now  and 


76    DOWN  NORTH  on  The  LABRADOR 

more  o'  them  has  got  children  in  plenty. 
What's  them  to  do  ?  They  can't  go  away 
wi'out  a  bite,  when  them  is  hungry  and  comes 
here.  He  wouldn't  do  that,  would  He? 
And  He  wouldn't  'low  His  friends  to  either." 

There  was  no  gainsaying  the  difficulty. 
There  was  no  denying  that  the  Christ  would 
have  fed  them.  In  my  own  mind  I  couldn't 
help  fearing  I  should  have  somehow  avoided 
the  issue  ;  possibly  by  moving  off  the  komatik 
track  each  winter,  as  many  I  knew  had  al- 
ready done.  I  even  ventured  to  suggest  this. 
But  Uncle  Malcolm  stood  firm. 

"  No,  no,  doctor,  as  long  as  God  g^ves  me 
a  bit,  I  stay  right  here  and  share  it  with  'em. 
What  I'm  afeared  of  is  it  won't  go  round  this 
time.  Still  if  the  Master  fed  thousands  with 
a  few  fishes  them  times,  I  got  that  many  any- 
how, and  He  can  make  it  go  round.  It 
wouldn't  be  much  trusting  Him  now  after  all 
these  years  if  I  just  ran  away  up  the  bay  wi' 
them  fishes.  It  wasn't  to  complain,  doctor,  I 
wrote  to  you.  I  knows  the  Lord'll  be  true  to 
His  promises  ;  but  we  got  to  do  our  part,  and 
I  thought  I'd  like  somehow  to  speak  to  you 
to  see  what  you  thinks." 

"  Uncle  Malcolm,"  I  replied,  "  I'm  delighted 
you  did.  I  was  just  looking  for  some  one  to 
get  me  a  few  thousand  billets  of  good  dry 


GIVEN  to  HOSPITALITY  77 

wood  put  on  some  place  like  your  point 
where  the  mission  ship  could  easily  call  and 
get  them.  We're  always  short  of  coal  away 
down  here  and  I  find  I  can  pay  enough  to 
make  it  worth  while.  I  reckon  I'll  help  out 
by  giving  you  flour  for  the  winter,  and  you 
can  place  the  billets  right  here  where  you  can 
keep  an  eye  on  them." 

I  was  narrowly  scrutinizing  his  face  as  I 
spoke,  and  I  fancied  I  saw  an  even  brighter 
sparkle  in  those  honest  gray  eyes  than  usual, 
a  sparkle  that  counts  for  more  to  some  folk 
than  that  of  any  jeweled  trinkets.  A  short 
silence  ensued,  and  being  a  man  of  few  words, 
he  shook  hands  and  went  out. 

Two  days  ago  we  once  more  dropped  our 
anchor  off  Uncle  Malcolm's  point.  Two 
years  had  passed  and  each  time  the  large 
quota  of  fire-wood  has  been  faithfully  pro- 
cured and  ready  for  us,  and  now  once  again 
the  same  problem  faced  us.  His  failing 
strength  made  him  realize  that  to  haul  logs, 
which  got  ever  further  from  his  door,  and  to 
cut  billets  enough  to  supply  his  needs  had 
become  impossible. 

"  Fourteen  barrels  I  used  last  winter,  doc- 
tor," he  began  as  he  saw  my  eyes  roaming 
about  the   great   kitchen  that  outrivalled  a 


78    DOWN  NORTH  on  The  LABRADOR 

Mother  Hubbard's  for  bareness.  Not  a  bone 
either  of  beef  or  of  pork  would  the  neediest  of 
visitors  have  found ;  no,  nor  a  speck  of  dirt 
either ;  the  place  was  swept  and  garnished 
like  a  great  skeleton. 

"  Fourteen  !  "  I  replied.  "  Four  you  mean. 
Four  is  more  than  enough  for  you  and 
Anthony." 

"  Every  ounce  o'  fourteen,"  he  said,  "  and 
but  for  what  you  bought  for  me  in  the  south, 
every  barrel  at  $8.50  a  barrel." 

"  Who  ate  them,  Uncle  Malcolm  ?  " 

"  Well,  we  had  as  many  as  twenty-seven 
staying  here  one  week  end,  and  they  with 
ne'er  a  bite  or  sup  at  home.  Isn't  us  told  to 
'  be  given  to  hospitality,'  and  that  isn't  feed- 
ing them  as  '11  pay  us  back,  is  it?  " 

"  It's  you  that  is  the  real  relieving  officer 
down  here,"  I  answered. 

"Thank  God,"  he  replied,  somewhat 
piqued,  "  I've  not  had  to  come  to  the  gover'- 
ment  yet  for  help,  though  we  has  been  on 
dry  flour  all  summer." 

"  What,  you  are  without  any  fats  in  the 
house  for  yourself  ?     Is  that  true  ?  " 

"  Well,  you  see,  doctor,  they  comes  round 
first  one  and  then  another  for  '  just  a  bit  to 
grease  the  pot,'  till  there's  none  left  for  our 
own  pot.     I  thank  God  I  doesn't  h?ive  to  take 


GIVEN  to  HOSPITALITY  79 

none  till  I  catches  what  to  pay  for  it  with,  but  I 
haven't  seen  a  bit  o'  butter  this  three  months. 
There's  a  few  salmon  and  fewer  fish  on  the 
land  yet,  I  know,"  he  went  on. 

"  Isn't  it  better  in  here  in  the  bay  ?  "  I  asked. 

"  No,  indeed.  It'll  be  a  poor  lookout  for 
winter.  The  best  of  them  haven't  a  quintal 
under  salt  yet,  and  t'  season  be  fast  slipping 
away." 

"  You'll  simply  have  to  shut  your  door  to 
them  this  winter  then,  whatever  happens  now, 
Uncle  Malcolm." 

He  stood  and  looked  at  me  and  said 
simply :  "  I'll  not  last  much  longer  anyhow, 
doctor,  and  please  God  it'll  never  come  to 
that.  I  doesn't  want  to  hear  Him  say,  '  I 
was  hungry  and  you  did  not  feed  Me,  a 
stranger  and  you  took  Me  not  in.'  " 

"  Well,  what  can  you  do  ?  " 

"  There  be  that  thirty  dollars  what  you'se 
sending  me  for  the  wood  this  year,  and  that'll 
do  for  all  Anthony  and  I  needs.  Ther'd  ha' 
been  more  o'  that  as  there  was  other  years, 
but  I  can't  chop  like  I  used  to,  doctor,  and 
the  folks  what  visits  me  doesn't  seem  to  be 
able  to  go  at  it." 

"They  ought  to  do  the  whole  lot.  But 
since  they  don't,  however  can  you  manage  ?  " 

For  answer  he  had  already  gone  to  a  large 


8o    DOWN  NORTH  on  The  LABRADOR 

time-worn  seaman's  chest  and  after  carefully- 
unlocking  it,  was  feeling  about  among  a  mass 
of  heterogeneous  wraps  and  relics.  At  last 
he  apparently  found  what  he  was  hunting  for, 
for  closing  the  lid  he  came  back  to  the  table 
with  what  was  evidently  a  schoolboy's  an- 
cient pencil  case.  It  required  much  persua- 
sion to  open  it,  as  it  had  obviously  been  lying 
some  years  untouched.  When  at  last  the 
feat  was  accomplished,  with  his  jack-knife  he 
picked  out  a  packing  of  spun  yarn  that  had 
been  well  "  caulked  "  into  it,  and  then  holding 
it  upside  down  a  small  roll  of  greenbacks  fell 
out  on  the  table. 

"If  them  as  killed  the  fox  that  brought 
them  notes  had  done  with  theirs  as  I  done 
with  mine,"  he  began,  "  there  would  be  less 
hunger  in  the  bay  this  day.  There's  many 
in  the  bay,  doctor,  that's  caught  two  to  my 
one  always.  But  there,  they  didn't  know 
how  to  look  after  them  when  they  had  'em." 

He  picked  up  the  notes  and  handed  them 
to  me. 

"There  ought  to  be  twelve  o'  them,"  he 
said ;  "  that  makes  sixty  dollars.  But  I  can't 
read  'em,  so  you  count  'em." 

He  was  correct.  The  roll  proved  to  con- 
sist of  twelve  old  five-dollar  bills. 

"What  shall  I  do  with  them?"  I  asked. 


"I'M  SEVENTY-THREE  COME  MICHAELMAS" 


GIVEN  io  HOSPITALITY         8i 

^•Do  with  them?  Why,  won't  you  buy 
food  for  me  with  them  ?  " 

"  What  food  do  you  want  "^ 

*'  Flour  and  molasses,  and  some  butter,  if 
it'll  reach  to  it." 

"  But  you  have  flour  enough  already,  and 
you  needn't  spend  all  this  on  butter  and  mo- 
lasses. Is  this  all  that  you  have  laid  by  for 
your  old  age  ?  " 

**  Yes,  doctor,  it's  all  I  has  laid  up  and  I 
wants  it  all,  every  bit,  in  flour  and  butter 
and  molasses ;  that  is,"  he  corrected  himself, 
•'  molasses  and  some  butter.  No,  it  isn't  me 
that  wants  it,  but  I've  got  to  have  it,  and 
that's  all  there  is  about  it." 

"But,  Malcolm,  you  are  getting  old  and 
you  shouldn't  cut  the  last  plank  away  yet." 

"I'm  seventy-three  come  Michelmas,"  he 
said,  "  and  I  feel  more'n  that,  since  the  old 
woman's  took,  ai.d  I'm  thinking  maybe  I 
won't  need  any  flour  next  winter." 

"  But  maybe  you  will  be  spared  many 
winters  yet,  and  if  you  spend  all  you  have 
now,  how  will  you  take  care  of  those  years?" 

"  He'll  take  care,  doctor.  I  guess  I'll  trust 
Him.  It  wouldn't  do  not  to  have  used  that 
sixty  dollars  and  have  sent  folks  away  hungry, 
would  it,  doctor  ?  It  would  look  as  I  didn't 
have  much  trust  in  Him.     Doesn't  the  Book 


82    DOWN  NOR  TH  on  The  LABRADOR 

say,  *  I  was  hungry  and  ye  gave  Me  nothing 
to  eat'?" 

What  could  be  said  ?  I  mechanically  took 
the  sixty  dollars  and  put  them  in  my  pocket 
and  was  silent.  It  certainly  seemed  to  be 
the  Master  speaking.  I  had  once  imagined 
I  knew  what  hospitality  meant. 


VI 

Remedy  for  Worry 

CUT  of!  by  the  frozen  sea  for  the  long 
winter  months  as  a  general  rule,  we 
enjoy  the  enforced  simple  life,  and 
store  up  energy  for  the  open  season.  But 
last  year  it  had  been  a  very  wearing  time 
with  us  at  the  hospital. 

It  was  not  because  our  patients  had  not 
done  well ;  on  the  contrary,  we  had  had  more 
reason  than  enough  to  be  satisfied  with  our 
results. 

Beyond  letters  of  gratitude  from  those  to 
whom  still  a  modern  surgical  operation  is  a 
miracle,  and  who  are  also  tender-hearted 
enough  to  express  their  feelings,  each  suc- 
cessive mail-steamer  had  brought  us  an  in- 
creasing number  of  sufferers  ever  coming 
from  longer  distances,  whom  it  was  our  en- 
larging privilege  to  help. 

The  comparatively  small  fall  of  snow  had 
made  some  of  our  longer  journeys  by  dog- 
sledge  physically  exacting,  which  in  our  ex- 
perience is  as  a  rule  the  best  antidote  for 
worry  of  mind.  It  had  added,  however,  its 
quota  to  a  strenuous  time,  and  the  tax  on  our 
83 


84    DOWN  NORTH  on  The  LABRADOR 

nervous  energies  had  been  a  fact  even  if  we 
had  not  recognized  it. 

On  the  top  of  this  there  had  been  financial 
•worries  ;  the  doubling  of  the  hospital  had  in- 
creased the  running  expenses  greatly  ;  the 
enlargement  of  the  orphanage  meant  a  further 
increase  in  upkeep. 

We  had  discovered  that  the  new  school, 
simply  essential  if  we  were  to  be  able  to  give 
the  "whole  man"  the  uplift  needed,  could 
not  be  built  for  the  money  donated. 

My  colleague  looking  after  the  new  sailors' 
home  had  written  that  the  contract  was  much 
larger  than  he  had  expected  or  could  afford. 

The  poor  price  for  fish,  with  a  very  mod- 
erate fishery,  had  made  it  very  hard  times 
with  some  of  our  poor  friends  and  neighbours 
along  the  shore. 

The  "cooperative"  or  people's  stores  that 
we  had  started  and  been  fostering  were  won- 
dering whether  they  could  meet  their  lia- 
bilities. 

On  account  of  lack  of  communication  we 
were  powerless  to  prevent  some  plans  from 
being  carried  out  that  from  experience, 
gained  recently,  we  now  knew  would  in- 
volve probably  considerable  loss  and  suf- 
fering. 

Everything  seemed  to  come  at  once,  and 


REMEDY  for  WORRY  85 

we  were  caged  in  and  powerless  to  do  any- 
thing to  remedy  things. 

The  seat  of  the  human  emotions  is  a 
physical  thing,  and  even  to  the  optimist  the 
world  will  look  blue  when  nervous  vitality  is 
exhausted. 

Though  it  certainly  goes  hard  with  me  to 
confess,  it  was  in  just  such  a  mood  that  I  was 
sitting  watching  our  mission  boat,  which 
some  friends  had  collected  the  money  for, 
and  which  seemed  only  able  to  say  to  me, 
**  Ought  you  to  go  to  the  expense  of  my  up- 
keep, when  there  is  more  than  enough  work 
coming  to  you  anyhow?" 

Its  beautiful  lines  and  costly  outfit  rendered 
it  a  perfect  handmaid  to  our  work ;  but  to  my 
distorted  view,  as  I  was  worrying  over  the 
unkind  comments  of  an  enemy,  who  had  been 
accusing  a  missionary  of  being  self-indulgent, 
even  his  helpmate  was  out  of  joint. 

The  ice  had  gone  now ;  but  open  water 
with  all  its  undoubted  blessings  had  brought 
us  an  incessant  stream  of  poor  folk  coming 
for  sympathy  and  help,  and  also  an  endless 
delayed  correspondence  and  a  complexity  of 
problems  that  permitted  little  relief  from 
nervous  strain. 

Every  man's  lot  seemed  to  be  better  than 
my  own ;    and,   as    the   white-winged   fleet 


86    DOWN  NORTH  on  The  LABRADOR 

flitted  north  in  quest  of  its  harvest  of  the  sea, 
the  cheering  welcome  of  our  many  passing 
friends  seemed  only  to  emphasize  my  own 
troubles. 

My  introspective  mood  was,  however,  ab- 
ruptly interrupted  by  a  maid  announcing, 
*'  There  are  some  men  to  see  you,  doctor ; 
they  seems  in  a  terrible  hurry." 

In  the  waiting-room  I  found  six  broad- 
chested,  blue-jersey ed  vikings,  who  had 
rowed  over  from  their  island  home  twenty 
miles  away  to  the  southward. 

With  characteristic  bluntness  only  a  vise- 
like grip  of  the  hand  preceded  the  announce- 
ment of  their  business,  which  was  that  Paddy 
Dunster's  wife  had  "  borned  her  eighth  baby 
ten  days  ago,"  but  had  "  got  the  fever,"  and 
was  very  near  to  dying.  Would  I  go  over 
at  once  ? 

Our  mail-steamer  only  twenty-four  hours 
previously  had  landed  forty-nine  sick  folk  at 
our  door,  and  we  had  not  only  a  large  group 
of  surgical  operations  ahead  of  us,  but  some 
few  patients  already  fresh  from  the  operating- 
room. 

Even  while  my  colleague  and  I  were  de- 
bating the  possibilities  of  going,  another  lot 
of  men  were  reported  by  the  maid,  and  they 
also  were  "  terrible  anxious." 


REMEDY  for  WORRY  87 

This  time  in  the  hallway  I  found  almost  a 
replica  of  the  first  group,  and  immediately- 
recognized  them  as  coming  from  about  ten 
miles  to  the  north. 

"  Elisha  Marston's  woman  is  very  sick  and 
like  to  die.  Her  baby  was  borned  two  days 
ago,  and  there  were  no  one  to  see  to  her. 
We  wants  you  to  come  right  along  at  once. 
Us  '11  carry  you  back  glad  enough." 

It  wasn't  an  easy  matter  to  decide,  but  it 
was  somewhat  the  stimulus  I  needed ;  namely, 
the  realization  that  there  was  a  need  for  what 
one  had  to  give. 

While  I  was  still  undecided  as  to  what  to 
do,  my  eye  fell  inadvertently  on  the  mission- 
boat  at  the  wharf. 

Oddly  enough,  it  upbraided  me  no  longer. 
Instead  it  said  perfectly  plainly,  "  Come  at 
once,  and  I'll  take  care  of  you."  What 
more  was  needed  ? 

A  few  hours  later,  as  happy  as  a  cricket  at 
the  prospect  of  the  trip,  I  was  chasing  the 
already  departed  trap-boat,  which  had  dis- 
appeared at  a  pace  that  I  have  seen  ex- 
hibited only  in  boats  rowed  by  just  these 
men,  and  by  them  only  when  they  are  bound 
on  sick-calls. 

Meanwhile,  my  colleague,  having  satisfied 
himself    that    the    condition    of    the    "in" 


88    DOWN  NORTH  on  The  LABRADOR 

patients  permitted  it,  left  to  answer  the 
northward  call,  and,  preferring  shank's  pony 
over  the  hills  to  the  longer  route  by  water, 
was  toiling  already  through  tuckermore  and 
over  bog,  through  brooks  and  over  rocks 
and  barrens,  for  no  fee  but  a  woman's  life. 

As  we  drew  towards  the  island,  a  second 
hurrying  boat  met  us.  The  helmsman  wav- 
ing his  hands  caused  us  to  stop,  when  he 
boarded  us  with  a  letter  from  our  poor 
patient's  husband. 

It  ran : 

"  Dear  Doctor :  I  knows  you'se  coming  ; 
but  Mary's  no  better,  and  it's  five  o'clock, 
and  there's  no  signs  of  you.  Do  come 
along  quick,  doctor.     I  knows  you  will. 

"Patrick  Dunster." 

Without  a  word  except  of  greeting  on  land- 
ing I  was  hurried  right  into  the  sick-room. 

It  needed  no  special  insight  to  recognize 
the  danger.  The  collapsed  condition  of  my 
patient,  and  the  flickering  pulse,  showed 
that  if  there  was  any  hope  of  recovery  at 
all,  it  lay  in  immediate  action. 

It  was  already  dark,  and  the  house  I  had 
come  to  was  very  small.  The  other  seven 
children  were  only  too  obviously  at  home, 
while  the  baby  and  its  attendants  occupied, 


REMEDY  for  WORRY  89 

ta  say  the  least,  all  the  room  that  could  be 
spared  them. 

Cold  is  still  supposed  to  be  harmful  by  our 
people.  Heat  is  man's  friend.  Therefore 
the  windows  were  closed,  and  the  stove  was 
in  full  blast. 

I  had  served  a  long  apprenticeship  in 
these  troubles,  and  have  learned  that  a 
people  accustomed  to  one  ritual  do  not  re- 
sent another,  and  also  that  a  little  trouble 
can  transform  even  such  an  environment  into 
a  possible  room  for  effective  surgery. 

Without  delay  the  transformation  was  ac- 
complished and  the  last  chance  given. 

Every  time  the  door  was  open  Pat's  eager 
face  asked,  even  before  the  words  came, 
"  How  is  it  going  with  Mary  ?  " 

By  ten  o'clock  all  was  quiet  again,  and 
every  effort  was  being  made  to  keep  life  in 
my  patient  till  she  should  reap  full  benefit  of 
the  work. 

At  midnight  in  spite  of  all  precautions 
there  were  no  signs  of  rallying ;  the  balance 
of  the  scales  seemed  to  hang  by  a  hair. 

One  o'clock  passed  safely;  two  struck; 
and  still  there  was  hope. 

But  it  was  now,  alas !  only  the  hope  of  a 
David  in  the  anguish  that  made  him  ex- 
claim, "Who  can  tell  whether  God  will  be 


90    DOWN  NORTH  on  The  LABRADOR 

gracious  to  me,  that  the  child  may  live?" 
The  battle  was  going  against  us,  and  my 
tired  brain  seemed  unable  to  afford  any 
further  suggestions. 

I  tried  to  explain  it  to  my  poor  friend,  but 
the  intuition  of  love  had  already  revealed  to 
him  the  probable  outcome. 

While  there  was  still  hope,  yet  there  was 
nothing  further  I  could  do.  Other  duties 
would  be  pressing  on  us  with  the  returning 
day;  so  I  gladly  accepted  the  kindly  sug- 
gestion that  I  should  lie  down  to  await  events. 

It  hardly  seemed  five  minutes  later  when 
my  opening  eyes  fell  on  the  figure  of  Pat 
standing  by  the  couch. 

Daylight  was  breaking,  and  the  infinite 
loneliness  and  silent  sorrow  in  his  face  made 
any  questions  unnecessary.  He  had  come  to 
tell  me  that  I  had  lost. 

It  was  a  perfect  morning  that  was  break- 
ing outside ;  not  a  ripple  could  be  seen  on 
the  placid  waters  of  the  Atlantic.  Only  now 
and  again  the  flash  of  an  oar  or  the  bump- 
ing of  a  boat  against  a  schooner's  side  broke 
the  silence,  and  reminded  us  that  the  world 
must  go  on  in  spite  of  our  sorrow. 

The  lack  of  wind  to  carry  us  on  our  home- 
ward journey  gave  us  time  to  linger,  while 
the  last  sad  offices  that  could  be  rendered  to 


REMEDY  for  WORRY  91 

the  poor  wife  and  mother  were  willingly  per- 
formed by  kindly  hands. 

It  would  be  a  time  that  in  many  homes 
would  make  any  attempt  at  offering  comfort 
seem  an  intrusion.  But  here  in  the  face  of  the 
immediate  sad  outlook  for  this  large  family  of 
small  children  an  excuse  was  furnished  us  for 
not  hastening  away,  and  an  opportunity  was 
opened  for  assuring  our  old  friend  of  so  many 
years  that  he  might  count  on  us  to  stand  by  him, 
without  appearing  to  trespass  on  his  grief. 

Years  ago  his  right  hand  had  been  shot  to 
pieces  by  an  explosion  of  his  gun  while  the 
hand  rested  on  the  muzzle  as  he  loaded  the 
other  barrel.  It  had  been  my  privilege  then 
to  be  able,  after  many  weeks  of  constant 
attention,  not  only  to  save  his  life,  but  to 
patch  up  the  fragments  left  sufficiently  to 
enable  him  to  nip  a  fishing-line  while  he 
hauled  it  in  with  the  other  hand,  and  thus 
follow  his  calling  successfully. 

It  had  ever  since  been  a  very  close  bond 
of  affection  between  us.  It  gave  me  a  priv- 
ilege that  with  complete  strangers  in  the 
hour  of  distress  I  should  have  hesitated  to 
exercise ;  so  that,  when  at  last  we  started 
homewards  in  the  boat,  we  had  the  small 
comfort  in  the  consciousness  of  our  failure 
that  we  could  still  be  of  service. 


92    DOWN  NORTH  on  The  LABRADOR 

Moreover,  we  also  had  the  welcome  as- 
surance that  confidence  in  our  ability  to 
serve  had  not  been  shaken ;  for  among  the 
friends  present  was  waiting  a  young  mother 
with  her  only  child,  a  babe  of  fifteen  months, 
to  accompany  me  back  to  the  hospital  for  a 
dangerous  operation  on  the  brain.  This  has 
since  been  successfully  performed. 

As  I  reached  the  hospital  and  began  stor- 
ing away  in  their  places  the  various  ap- 
paratus that  we  had  chosen  to  rely  on  for 
help  in  our  unequal  task,  the  nurse  informed 
me  that  my  colleague  had  just  returned  also, 
and  was  now  seeking  a  well-earned  rest  up- 
stairs. Success  had  crowned  his  efforts ; 
and,  as  I  peeped  into  his  room,  I  could  see 
he  was  enjoying  the  restful  repose  of  the 
victor. 

To  many  it  would  seem  that  the  personal 
unrest  in  which  this  call  to  service  had  found 
me  must  have  been  enhanced  by  this  ad- 
ditional exaction.  To  my  surprise  it  proved 
absolutely  the  reverse.  A  few  hours  later  I 
awoke  to  realize  the  fact  that  I  had  enjoyed 
the  most  refreshing  sleep  for  many  months. 

The  mission-boat  was  still  at  her  old  place 
at  the  wharf  when  I  looked  out  of  the  win- 
dow. 

There  was  no  upbraiding  about  her  this 


REMEDY  for  WORRY  93 

time.  She  just  said :  "  Capacity  is  worth 
paying  for.     Here  I  am  waiting  again." 

On  the  hill  behind  her  stood  the  enlarged 
hospital,  and  the  long  row  of  patients  sun- 
ning themselves  on  the  veranda  and  up- 
stairs balcony  seemed  all  to  say,  "  We  may 
have  cost  money,  but  we  pay  you  in  oppor- 
tunity and  a  full  life." 

Further  back  stood  the  orphanage  ;  a  batch 
of  hatless,  barelegged  children  as  happy  as 
sandhoppers  were  skipping  around  outside, 
waiting  to  accompany  the  schoolma'am  to 
school.  They  seemed  to  say,  "  God  will 
provide  for  us  ;  you  have  no  right  to  worry." 

On  the  other  side  of  the  hilltop  rose  the 
spire  of  our  little  church.  It  had  an  odd 
message  this  morning,  in  which  it  seemed  at 
first  to  be  stultifying  itself,  for  it  said  plainly 
so  that  I  could  not  but  understand  :  "  I  can- 
not give  you  peace.  Not  in  creed  or  sect 
can  you  find  it.  Kindness  is  more  Christlike 
than  righteousness.  His  peace  comes  only 
to  those  travelling  in  His  footsteps.  The 
remedy  for  unrest  is  work." 

*♦  'Tis  something,  when  the  day  draws  to  its  close. 
To  say,  '  Though  I  have  borne  a  burdened  mind, 
Have  tasted  neither  pleasure  nor  repose, 
Yet  this  remains :  to  all  men,  friends  or  foes, 
I  have  been  kind,'  " 

— Dawson, 


VII 

On  His  Beam  Ends 

NEW  YEAR'S  DAY  had  come  and 
gone  at  our  little  winter  hospital. 
"  The  mildest  winter  this  fifty  year, 
doctor,  anyways,"  the  patriarch  of  the  village 
declared  it.  "Why,  years  ago  us'd  drive 
round  heads  many  times  'fore  Christmas,  and 
now  there's  open  water  right  to  Uncle  Adam's 
stage,"  he  added  in  a  somewhat  querulous 
tone,  as  if  that  was  a  modern  innovation  not 
to  be  accepted  without  protest,  that  the  open 
Atlantic  beyond  the  steep  cliffs  that  formed 
our  harbour  mouth  should  still  be  free  of  the 
Frost  King's  control. 

"  It's  only  my  second  winter  on  the  coast, 
Uncle  'Lige,"  I  answered,  "  but  I  haven't 
noticed  any  heat  to  complain  of.  They 
wouldn't  call  this  sultry  where  I  came  from, 
and  so  long  as  the  heads  keep  the  seas  out  of 
the  harbour  I  can  forgive  the  ocean,  if  it 
does  love  Jack  Frost's  rule  as  little  as  I  do. 
I'm  sure  there's  snow  enough  on  the  land  to 
suit  any  one." 

"Well,  well.  It  all  helps  to  fill  up  the 
94 


On  HIS  BEAM  ENDS  95 

holes,  doctor.  But  you  can't  trust  to  cross 
the  tickles  yet,  and  it's  too  long  to  go  round 
till  we  get  a  drop  o'  rain  to  give  the  snow  a 
surface.  It's  this  'twixt  and  between  that's 
no  use.     It's  never  no  use  anywhere." 

•'  Well,  Uncle,  I'll  admit  it  keeps  the  hos- 
pital slack  of  work — people  can't  get  to  us 
any  better  than  we  can  get  to  them.  So  I'm 
going  to  try  a  trip  on  Monday  to  the  west 
coast  with  the  dogs,  and  see  how  the  folks 
are  getting  on.  It's  a  long  while  since  we  got 
word  from  them,  though  I  hear  the  first  mail 
has  come  over  to  Lock's  Cove  across  the 
county." 

"  Yes,  I  know  the  trail's  cut,  and  you're 
young  still.  Perhaps  you  may,"  he  reiterated, 
"  but  don't  take  no  risks,  doctor.  Don't  take 
no  risks." 

I  thought  of  his  parting  words  a  good  deal 
next  day.  For  word  came  from  the  north 
that  Jack  Byrne  had  been  drowned  crossing 
a  tidal  arm  of  the  sea  with  his  dogs,  as  he  left 
to  get  a  load  of  fire-wood.  The  current,  which 
had  kept  the  ice  from  freezing  strongly  in  the 
spot  he  happened  to  cross,  swept  him  under 
when  he  fell  through.  His  comrade  had 
only  been  saved  by  the  heroic  action  of  his 
sister  running  out  from  the  shore.  She  had 
flung  herself  down  and  crawled  to  where  he 


96    DOWN  NORTH  on  The  LABRADOR 

was  clinging  to  the  ice  edge,  tangled  up  in 
the  traces  of  the  dogs.  She  held  on  to  him 
till  help  came  in  the  form  of  a  fiat-bottom 
boat  hauled  over  the  ice. 

There  are  few  sensations  more  delightful 
on  a  clear  brisk  morning  than  the  prospect  of 
a  fifty-mile  journey  over  hill  and  vale,  with 
the  glorious  evergreen  trees  and  the  perfect 
whiteness  of  the  snow.  It  is  a  sight  not  easy 
to  forget.  It  is  not  lessened  by  the  almost 
crazy  delight  of  a  well-fed  team  of  dogs 
turned  out  for  their  first  long  journey.  On 
this  occasion  a  good  driver  had  fairly  covered 
the  harness  with  bright  woollen  bobbins.  Our 
gaily  decked  snow  racquets  adorned  the  net- 
ting on  the  raised  sledge  back,  and  the  fa- 
miliar long  box  with  the  big  red  cross  was 
firmly  lashed  amidships.  Kettle  and  axe, 
rifle  and  instrument  cases,  all  were  there,  and 
as  soon  as  I  had  bade  good-bye  to  our  friends 
assembled  to  see  us  off,  I  cut  the  back  strap 
which,  tied  to  the  starting  post,  alone  pre- 
vented our  team  from  running  away  from  us 
too  soon.  There  were  few  hearts  anywhere 
lighter  than  ours,  though  we  were  cut  off 
from  many  of  the  most  "  modern  blessings  " 
of  civilization. 

It  was  just  two  weeks  before  once  again 
our  dogs  brought  up  at  the  hospital  doors. 


On  HIS  BEAM  ENDS  97 

We  had  only  covered  some  three  hundred 
miles  on  the  trip,  having  visited  a  great 
number  of  scattered  hamlets  and  villages. 
But  we  arrived  home  with  a  good  conscience. 
For  food  for  our  dogs  had  everywhere  been 
plentiful  and  they  got  back  as  fresh  and  as 
sturdy  as  they  started.  We  had  left  very  lit- 
tle sickness  behind  us  on  the  coast,  and  ex- 
pected a  rest  for  quite  a  while  among  our 
own  people. 

But  the  unexpected  always  happens.  That 
very  night  we  were  called  out  of  bed  by  a 
loud  knocking  at  the  hospital  door.  The 
voices  of  men  and  the  sound  of  dogs  on  the 
crisp  snow  greeted  our  half-wakened  senses. 
"Who's  there?"  from  the  window  brought  in 
stentorian  tones  the  information,  "  It's  me — 
Jonas — we've  come  over  from  Stark's  Cove. 
Jennie  Gardner  broke  her  arm  yesterday,  so 
them  says." 

"  All  right,  I'll  be  down  directly.  Go  and 
call  Ben  out  to  give  your  dogs  a  feed." 

Our  visitors,  like  most  of  their  kind,  are 
not  men  to  rest  easily,  when  trouble  of  which 
they  don't  know  the  extent  is  hanging  over 
them,  and  it  was  all  we  could  do  to  persuade 
them  that  a  few  hours'  rest  before  we  started 
would  not  injure  the  prospects  of  an  ordinary 
broken  arm.     It  would  have  been  no  use  ex- 


98    DOWN  NORTH  on  The  LABRADOR 

pecting  them  to  take  anything  but  their  outer 
clothes  off.  A  rug  and  enough  room  on  a 
hard  wood  settee  to  lie  on  was  all  they  would 
accept,  and  no  sooner  had  they  finished  a 
huge  draught  of  hot  tea  and  some  supper 
than  their  two  great  forms  lay  stretched  out 
near  the  stove,  as  motionless  almost  as  if 
they  had  been  corpses. 

As  the  messengers  were  from  the  coast  we 
had  not  visited,  and  brought  us  no  news  of 
any  further  trouble,  and  since  haste  seemed 
the  object  most  to  be  desired,  we  decided  to 
take  no  equipage  beyond  that  needed  for  this 
particular  case,  thus  enabling  us  to  load  our 
sledge  as  little  as  possible.  This  was  more 
especially  desirable  as  fresh  snow  having 
fallen  in  the  night  it  became  all  the  more  im- 
portant that  the  komatik  should  run  lightly. 
As  it  turned  out  we  did  well,  for  the  down- 
fall continued  steadily  all  the  morning,  and 
the  drifts  were  enormous  when  we  had  to 
force  through  wooded  country.  The  leading 
dogs  sank  into  the  feathery  blanket  almost 
out  of  sight,  and  though  we  walked  ahead  all 
day  in  our  racquets  to  beat  a  path  for  them, 
we  had  to  give  them  turn  and  turn  about  in 
their  positions  in  the  train. 

Night  overtook  us,  in  the  middle  of  the 
country,  and  glad  enough  we  were,  in  a  dense 


On  HIS  BEAM  ENDS  99 

spruce  thicket,  called  the  "  Green  Rudge," 
locally,  to  dig  out  a  wayside  log  tilt  or  hut, 
and  to  crawl  down  into  it  for  the  night. 
With  the  perversity  that  sometimes  appears 
to  characterize  inanimate  things,  the  down- 
fall during  the  hours  of  darkness  was  almost 
phenomenal,  and  though  we  were  ready  for 
starting  long  before  daylight  we  were  forced 
to  hasten  slowly  by  being  unable  in  the  dark 
to  unearth  two  recalcitrant  dogs  who  were 
hidden  snugly  asleep  under  the  snow. 

The  overcoming  of  physical  difficulties  is 
one  of  the  chief  pleasures  in  life,  so  when,  as 
it  grew  dusk  that  evening,  we  emerged  on 
the  southern  shore  of  the  Straits  of  Belle  Isle, 
we  felt  quite  pleased  with  ourselves,  even  if 
we  had  lost  twenty- four  hours  on  our  usual 
time.  There  were  only  eighteen  miles  more 
to  do.  The  land  in  this  section  is  level  and 
the  road  is  kept  more  or  less  beaten  by  the 
numerous  teams  travelling  over  it.  When 
we  had  "  boiled  the  kettle  "  and  shaken  the 
snow  out  of  ourselves,  we  pushed  on  towards 
our  destination. 

Soon  only  three  miles  remained.  The 
familiar  lighthouse  out  on  an  island  was  in 
sight  and  we  expected  in  a  few  minutes  to  be 
in  the  warmth  of  the  comfortable  cottage  of 
our  patient. 


lOO  DOWN  NORTH  on  TJie  LABRADOR 

But  as  chance  would  have  it,  just  as  we 
came  to  the  parting  of  the  trails,  one  of  which 
led  out  to  a  little  village  on  a  long  promontory, 
we  noticed  so  many  fresh  tracks  of  komatiks 
that  we  guessed  something  unusual  must  be 
occurring.  "  Anything  wrong  out  at  Safety 
Cove  ?  "  I  sang  out  to  the  messengers  who 
had  come  to  fetch  us.  "  Nothing  we  knows 
on,  'cept  us  heard  Jim  Kempson  had  a  hurt 
on  his  knee,  but  us  'lows  there  must  be 
more  than  that  doing  to  take  all  this  lot  out 
there.  For  they  hasn't  come  back  by  their 
tracks,  and  there's  a  power  of  'em  gone." 

"  There's  a  couple  of  men  up  on  the  top, 
doctor,"  one  of  the  men  shouted  as  we  swung 
round  the  next  hillside,  and  a  little  bunch  of 
houses  nestling  above  the  cove  loomed  up 
against  the  snow.  "  'Low  them's  watching 
to  see  us  pass.  See,  them's  got  a  flag  up  !  " 
he  added  excitedly.  "  All  right,  Charley. 
Ouk  !  ouk  !  ouk  !  "  (to  the  right)  to  the  lead- 
ing dog,  and  our  little  cavalcade  in  less  than 
a  trice  was  swinging  off  in  the  new  direc- 
tion. 

Evidently  we  were  spotted  instantly  by  the 
vidette,  for  they  commenced  running  down 
the  hill  to  meet  us,  and  we  were  soon  in  pos- 
session of  the  facts  that  were  causing  trouble. 
Jim's  knee   had  got  worse  and  worse,  and 


On  HIS  BEAM  ENDS  loi 

"  there  was  no  stopping  it."  It  had  swelled 
up  and  down  till  his  leg  was  as  large  as  his 
body,  and  all  hands  said  he  was  dying. 

According  to  the  custom  of  the  coast  under 
these  circumstances,  all  his  friends  had 
gathered  from  far  and  near  to  show  their 
sympathy — "  just  to  see  him  ofif,"  as  some 
one  once  put  it.  Jim  had  a  wife  and  four  chil- 
dren, and  only  four  rooms  all  told — a  kitchen 
and  living-room  below  and  two  tiny  bed- 
rooms in  the  slope  of  the  roof  above.  The 
inevitable  result  was  that  the  house  was 
packed  like  a  beehive  and  the  air  could  al- 
most be  cut  in  slices  with  a  knife.  In  one  of 
the  small  up-stairs  rooms  lay  poor  Jim  on 
his  back,  struggling  for  life,  encouraged  by 
as  many  friends  as  could  get  in  at  once,  but 
hampered  sadly  by  bad  air  and  heat. 

Having  succeeded  in  the  delicate  task  of 
persuading  this  kindly  assembly  that  their 
room  was  really  of  infinitely  more  value  than 
their  company,  and  in  sending  the  four  chil- 
dren to  other  houses,  we  retained  three  good 
handy  men  and  started  in  to  work. 

With  as  little  noise  as  possible  the  board 
partition  between  the  two  bedrooms  was 
taken  down,  and  one  hand  told  off  to  plane  it 
up,  and  convert  it  into  a  full-length  bath. 
Assistant  No.  2  was  detailed  to  make  a  win- 


I02  DOWN  NORTH  on  The  LABRADOR 

dow  in  the  roof,  and  No.  3  to  carry  away 
everything  movable  to  the  store  outside. 
The  new  room  was  meanwhile  cleansed  and 
all  the  kettles  of  the  village  set  boiling,  as 
many  as  possible  on  our  own  down-stair  stove. 
Food  was  also  short ;  there  was  neither  a  drop 
of  any  stimulant  nor  a  tin  of  milk  obtainable 
— much  less  fresh  milk.  Messengers  volun- 
teered to  try  and  cross  the  ice  and  get  some  at 
the  lighthouse ;  and  fortunately  in  this  they 
were  successful. 

The  condition  of  the  patient  resembled  that 
of  a  rapidly  spreading  erysipelas.  The  only 
hope  of  saving  his  life  lay  in  numerous  and 
extensive  incisions.  As  no  lancet  was  obtain- 
able, our  hunting-knife  had  to  be  impressed 
to  replace  one.  An  anaesthetic  anyhow  was 
out  of  the  question.  For  an  antiseptic  a  bot- 
tle of  strong  carbolic  acid,  left  in  the  next  vil- 
lage by  our  hospital  boat  for  another  case  the 
previous  summer,  was  fortunately  brought 
in  just  when  we  were  ready,  and  after  some 
hot  milk  had  been  administered,  the  rough 
but  most  admirably  sensible  full-length  bath, 
made  out  of  the  old  partition — the  seams 
being  well  caulked  with  pitch — also  made  its 
appearance.  Filled  with  its  warm  antiseptic 
solution,  it  was  immediately  put  to  use.  The 
patient,  in  whom  seven  long  incisions  had 


On  HIS  BEAM  ENDS  103 

been  made,  was  placed  reclining  in  it.  He 
described  it  after  as  being  like  crimping  a 
cod.  Blankets  and  quilts,  commandeered 
from  the  neighbours,  were  now  packed  all 
round,  while  a  cover  made  with  fishermen's 
oilskin  jackets  protected  those  from  getting 
wet.  In  this  way  it  was  comparatively  easy 
to  maintain  an  even  temperature.  Regular 
port  and  starboard  watches  were  set,  and 
when  morning  dawned  we  ventured  to  finish 
our  own  journey  and  settle  the  broken-arm 
patient  before  turning  in  for  some  sleep. 

The  cheerful  woman  whom  we  had  origi- 
nally set  out  to  help  almost  persuaded  us  that 
it  was  a  pleasure  having  a  broken  arm — the 
chance  for  his  life  it  was  the  means  of  giving 
to  her  poor  neighbour,  to  her  mind  quite  off- 
set the  inconvenience  and  the  pain  which 
would  make  so  many  people  selfishly  intro- 
spective. 

The  need  for  constant  supervision  of  the 
kindly  and  unremitting  efforts  of  my  strange 
nursing  staff  left  me  little  time  to  visit  else- 
where, and  the  track  from  my  lodging  to  the 
sick  man's  house  was  soon  worn  as  hard  as  a 
macadam  road.  To  get  so  heavy  a  man 
easily  in  and  out  of  the  bath  called  for  no  lit- 
tle strength  and  skill,  and  I  had  to  drill  my 
squad  with  a  dummy,  for  Jim  had  no  strength 


\o\  DOWN  NORTH  on  The  LABRADOR 

to  lose  from  rough  handling.  How  much 
oakum  was  picked  for  dressing  I  cannot  say 
now,  but  the  occupants  of  the  next  door 
neighbour's  front  room  came  nearer  to  en- 
joying the  calling  of  a  convict  than  ever 
any  one  previously  has  in  our  north  country. 

The  supply  of  milk  from  the  lighthouse  was 
limited,  and  it  had  to  be  served  out  as  if  it 
were  rations  for  a  shipwrecked  crew.  For- 
tunately some  of  the  boys  came  across 
ptarmigan  on  the  second  day,  and  the  fresh 
broth  was  as  welcome  as  the  first  flowers  of 
spring.  Numbers  of  small  offerings  of  this 
kind  were  gladly  brought  in  from  a  distance 
of  many  miles,  as  soon  as  the  news  reached 
along  the  coast  of  the  reason  they  were 
needed.  The  unstinted,  unselfish  kindness  of 
the  poor  for  the  poor  made  even  these  anxious 
days  a  benediction  to  us  workers.  Surely 
the  real  kingdom  of  God  was  deeper  in  the 
hearts  of  this  people  than  any  one  could  pos- 
sibly have  supposed.  The  showers  of  kind 
acts,  little  though  they  may  have  appeared, 
were  no  small  spur  to  all  the  rest  of  us  to  do 
our  best,  as  night  succeeded  day  and  there 
still  was  no  improvement  in  poor  Jim's  condi- 
tion— nothing  that  suggested  to  us  any 
chance  of  ultimate  success. 

The  fourth  day  was  drawing  to  a  close. 


On  HIS  BEAM  ENDS  105 

Though  a  crowd  of  friends  sat  with  me  by 
the  log  fire  in  the  fisherman's  hut,  where  I 
was  being  temporarily  entertained,  my  mind 
kept  wandering  over  the  miles  of  snow 
back  to  our  people  on  the  western  coast.  I 
knew  that  by  now  the  sick  that  we  had  left 
behind,  and  possibly  others  who  had  gath- 
ered since,  must  be  anxiously  awaiting  my 
return.  I  was  too  restless  to  notice  even 
much  of  the  conversation.  So,  not  unnat- 
urally, I  had  failed  to  realize  that  the  talk 
had  turned  to  Jim  and  his  chances,  and  what 
to  do  with  his  little  ones  if  he  did  not  pull 
through.  "There's  no  money  round  here 
on  Jim's  chances,  doctor,"  one  man  re- 
marked, "though  they  does  say  he  seemed 
like  clawing  to  windward  a  bit  after  them 
cuts." 

"  Don't  be  too  sure,  Dick,"  chimed  in 
another ;  "  Jim's  lived  hard  o'  late,  but  there's 
good  stuff  in  him.  There  wasn't  a  soft  spot 
in  his  timbers  when  this  took  him." 

"  It  was  always  that  way  with  Jim,"  added 
a  third.  "  Not  much  to  look  at  in  fine 
weather,  but  never  no  give  when  t'  pinch 
came." 

One  of  the  company,  sailor-like,  had  been 
out  to  get  "  a  sight  o'  the  weather,"  not  for 
any  particular  reason,  except  that  the  men 


lo6  DOWN  NORTH  on  The  LABRADOR 

find  it  hard  to  sit  still  for  long  at  a  time.  A 
breeze  of  fresh  cold  air  as  he  opened  the 
door  roused  us  to  the  fact  that  he  was  re- 
turning, and  in  the  conventional  way,  hardly 
even  anticipating  an  answer,  he  was  greeted 
with  the  usual  question,  "  Well,  what  of  it, 
Sam  ?    Anything  doing  ?  " 

"Night's  fine,"  he  replied.  "There's  lights 
moving  across  t'  hill  by  Jim's  house — seems 
as  if  something  was  going  on  over  there." 

There  was  at  once  a  general  move  in  the 
company,  and  each  man  momentarily 
searched  the  faces  of  the  others.  Soon  the 
whole  company  were  on  their  feet,  and  one 
by  one,  almost  shamefacedly,  slunk  out  into 
the  night. 

For  myself,  I  just  sat  on  staring  into  the 
fire,  wondering  if  all  our  efforts  and  prayers 
that  this  humble  life  might  be  spared  us  a 
little  longer  had  been  in  vain.  True,  when 
a  skiff  sinks  before  the  storm,  the  tiny  eddy 
and  gap  in  the  waters  is  noticeable  only  to 
those  very  close  at  hand,  and  the  great  sea 
then  rushes  in,  and  no  trace  of  the  catas- 
trophe is  discernible.  If  such  were  God's 
will  now  we  could  only  bow  to  it,  and  face 
the  aftermath  as  it  becomes  a  brother,  who  is 
one  not  only  in  name,  to  try  and  do. 

The  hurry  of  steps  and  the  lifting  of  the 


On  HIS  BEAM  ENDS  107 

Tatch  brought  me  quickly  back  from  the  land 
of  dreams.  A  muffled  figure,  with  a  large 
hurricane  lantern,  was  being  ushered  in  by 
the  crowd  of  friends  who  had  just  gone  out. 

The  footsteps  told  me  the  news  was  good 
before  my  uncouth  looking  head  nurse  with 
his  irrepressible  Irish  humour  broke  out: 
"  Bedad,  doctor,  Jim's  showing  ould  Nick  a 
clean  pair  o'  legs  after  all.  He's  hisself 
again  if  ever  he  was." 

"  Be  sensible,  Pat,  and  tell  me  what  has 
happened." 

"  Oh,  don't  distress  yourself,  doctor ;  'tis 
himself  that's  woken  up  and  asked  for  some- 
thing." 

The  diagnosis  of  a  professional  nurse 
would  have  given  me  no  more  confidence 
This  was  not  the  first  sick-bed  Pat  had 
watched  over  by  a  long  way,  rough  fisher- 
man though  he  looked,  and  the  instinct  of 
simple  love  is  often  as  true  a  guide  as  even 
text-book  or  lecture.  It  was  with  a  load  oflE 
my  heart  that  I  started  to  accompany  the 
faithful  watcher  back  over  the  snow. 

"  Prayer  is  out  of  date,"  a  man  of  millions 
said  to  me  only  a  few  days  ago.  "  No  one 
believes  now  that  prayer  makes  any  real 
difference."  But  I  like  to  think  still  that 
there  are  "more  things  in  God's  heaven  than 


io8  DOWN  NORTH  on  The  LABRADOR 

man  wots  of,"  and  though  Pat  and  I  said  our 
prayers  differently,  we  both  thanked  God 
together  that  night  for  sparing  the  Ufe  of  the 
man  we  had,  each  in  our  own  way,  been 
asking  God  for. 

As  I  harnessed  up  the  dogs  next  morn- 
ing and  started  on  a  seventy  mile  drive 
home,  the  very  team  seemed  to  be  of  my 
mind  also,  and  even  the  weather  chimed  in 
and  endorsed  the  verdict  that  God  is  in  His 
heaven,  and  that  so  long  as  He  permits  us  to 
believe  that  we  can  serve  Him,  life  is  very 
much  worth  while. 


VIII 

A  Partial  Conversion 

FOR  two  years  I  had  made  summer 
voyages  in  our  one  hundred  and 
fifty  ton  hospital  schooner  from  Eng- 
land to  Labrador,  returning  when  the  summer 
exodus  of  fishermen  was  driven  south  by 
the  advance  of  winter.  The  short  seasons  of 
open  water  had  been  spent  in  doing  what  we 
could  to  help  the  fishermen.  A  local  failure 
of  the  fisheries  the  previous  year  had  brought 
me  a  piteous  appeal  to  try  and  aid  a  district 
further  south  than  I  had  hitherto  considered 
our  territory.  Moreover  there  had  appeared 
that  spring  a  sickness  that  was  painful  and 
fatal — a  new  terror  to  the  settlers.  Large 
black  bruises  broke  out  about  their  bodies. 
Joints  became  suddenly  rigid.  Mouth  and 
gums  turned  purple  and  fetid.  No  doctor 
ever  visited  that  coast,  not  even  on  the  oc- 
casional mail-boat.  It  was  a  most  pathetic 
situation.  "Would  I  at  least  come  in  and 
see  them?" 

So  it  happened  that  as   we  once    more 
109 


no  DOWN  NORTH  on  The  LABRADOR 

sailed  south,  in  company  with  the  large  fish- 
ing fleet  that  were  again  returning  home,  we 
ran  in  and  anchored  in  the  safest  and  most 
central  harbour,  to  decide  finally  whether  we 
should  stay  the  winter  on  "the  French 
Shore."  A  cursory  visit  around  the  little 
settlement  left  no  doubt  in  our  minds  that 
there  existed  an  undeniable  need  for  such 
services  as  we  could  render,  and  an  ample 
scope  for  labour  that  would  keep  us  busy  till 
our  schooner  could  return  to  us  from  England 
once  more.  It  was  equally  and  somewhat 
painfully  apparent,  however,  that  we  were  not 
overwell  equipped  for  the  task.  Finally,  how- 
ever, we  proceeded  to  disembark,  for  with 
me  was  a  young  friend  from  England  who 
had  volunteered  to  help  me  with  whatever 
work  I  might  be  called  upon  to  do. 

Our  difficulties  began  at  once.  It  was  by 
no  means  such  an  easy  matter  as  might  be 
supposed  to  find  a  lodging-place  among 
the  cottages  of  which  the  village  consisted. 
When  finally  we  had  succeeded  in  trans- 
forming two  rooms  to  suit  our  purposes,  it 
was  still  evident  that  if  we  were  to  do  any 
serious  surgical  work  we  must  find  accommo- 
dation in  some  other  house  for  our  sick  folk. 
Owing  to  the  constant  calls  from  far  as  well 


A  PARTIAL  CONVERSION      in 

as  near,  during  the  first  few  weeks  after  the 
schooner  left  us,  we  were  prevented  in  spite 
of  our  best  efforts  from  giving  the  time 
necessary  to  secure  that  resemblance  to  a 
hospital  which  we  desired.  Indeed  the 
March  gales  had  already  broken  up  much 
of  the  standing  ice  that  all  winter  had  en- 
abled us  to  cross  the  arms  of  the  sea,  and 
answer  quickly  the  calls  of  our  neighbours, 
before  half  another  house  was  really  ready  for 
surgical  occupation. 

The  great  bridge  that  crossed  to  some  off- 
lying  islands  had  just  given  way  before  an 
angry  Atlantic  ground  swell,  heaving  in  under 
the  outside  ice,  and  thus  had  temporarily  cut 
the  inhabitants  off  from  all  communication 
with  the  mainland.  We  were  not  a  little 
surprised,  therefore,  to  be  suddenly  sum- 
moned out  of  bed  one  night  by  the  stentorian 
voices  of  a  number  of  men  gathered  out- 
side our  cottage.  On  descending  to  admit 
them  we  found  that  they  were  the  crew 
of  a  sealing  skiff  that  had  forced  their  way 
in  through  the  running  ice.  That  some- 
thing serious  must  have  happened  was 
evident.  The  men  were  excited  and  in 
haste.  So  while  some  started  our  fire  and 
got  the  kettle  on — the  universal  order  of 
events  all  along  our  coast — the  skipper  told 


112  DOWN  NORTH  on  The  LABRADOR 

us  how  "  Tim  Bryan  had  shot  hisself,  and 
wanted  a  doctor  bad,  right  off."  Three  men 
had  been  duck  shooting  together  and  from  a 
point  of  vantage  where  they  "  were  well 
stowed  away"  they  had  just  had  "a  des- 
perate shot  into  a  small  pond  o'  water," 
formed  by  a  fissure  in  the  ice.  They  had 
killed  or  crippled  some  seventy-six  birds,  and 
Tim  had  been  reloading  in  so  great  a  hurry 
to  secure  the  wounded  ones,  that  a  spark 
left  in  his  gun  had  exploded  the  new  charge. 
The  flash  from  the  muzzle  had  entered  the 
powder  horn  that  he  held  inverted  over  the 
muzzle.  To  stop  the  bleeding  his  comrades 
had  rushed  him  home,  and  plunged  the 
shattered  right  hand  into  the  flour  barrel. 
This  had  fortunately  proved  effective.  Pain 
and  weakness  from  the  loss  of  blood  had, 
however,  caused  them  to  leave  him  there  in 
his  own  home.  "Would  we  come  right 
along?"  There  was  much  heavy  running 
ice  and  they  were  anxious  to  get  back  while 
the  channel  they  had  rowed  along  might  still 
make  it  possible. 

After  less  than  an  hour's  rest  and  refresh- 
ment these  Vikings  were  ready  to  start  on 
their  return  voyage,  though  it  was  still  pitch 
dark,  and  the  sea  was  covered  with  the  slob- 
ice.     With  them  on  the  journey  back  went 


A  PARTIAL  CONVERSION      113 

my  young  colleague,  leaving  me  to  "stand 
by "  our  other  patients,  from  some  of  whom 
I  dared  not  risk  being  cut  off. 

The  moving  of  the  injured  man  proved 
a  harder  task  than  was  anticipated,  and 
another  valuable  forty-eight  hours  elapsed 
before  he  was  carried  up  to  our  makeshift 
hospital. 

Tim  was  a  family  man — he  had  five 
small  children  and  a  wife  dependent  on  him. 
He  had  nothing  but  his  skill  as  a  fish- 
erman and  trapper  to  count  on  for  his  daily 
food.  Now — alas — his  right  hand  lay  before 
me,  one  huge  shattered  mass  of  blood,  flour, 
and  corruption.  The  man  himself  was 
flushed  and  feverish  ;  already  his  face  had  as- 
sumed the  sunken  aspect  of  general  blood 
infection — the  telltale  glands  in  the  armpit 
were  red  and  swollen.  I  was  forced  to  put 
the  position  plainly  to  him — "Tim,  boy,  if 
what's  left  of  your  hand  isn't  cut  off  it  will 
probably  cost  you  your  life." 

"Oh,  doctor,"  he  replied,  "don't  tell  me 
that.  It's  not  the  hand  I'm  thinking  of — 
but  it's  my  right  one,  doctor.  It  will  mean 
that  we  shall  all  starve  together.  Can  you 
do  nothing  to  help  me  save  it,  doctor  ?  For 
God's   sake,  say  you  can,"  and  the  great 


114  DOWN  NORTH  on  The  LABRADOR 

strong  man,  now  utterly  overwrought,  broke 
down  and  wept  like  a  child. 

"  Yes,  Tim,  we  can  try,  if  you  decide  to 
chance  it.  But  you  should  know  that  the  risk 
to  your  life  will  be  very  great,  and  even  if  we 
do  save  what  is  left  of  the  hand,  it  may  be  of 
no  use  to  you." 

"  Give  me  an  hour  to  think  it  over,  won't 
you,  doctor,  and  then  I'll  give  you  my  an- 
swer." 

Laying  the  arm  on  a  weighted  board  and 
sinking  the  whole  into  a  trough  of  carbolized 
hot  water,  we  went  off,  leaving  only  his  com- 
rades to  give  him  counsel.  The  clock 
marked  one  hour  exactly  when  we  returned 
for  his  decision,  for  time  then  was  of  the  ut- 
most importance.  The  patient  was  quieter 
now.  His  piercing  blue  eyes  seemed  trying 
to  look  through  me  as  I  walked  up  to  the 
couch  on  which  he  lay  stretched  out.  He 
had  evidently  made  up  his  mind — and  his  an- 
swer was  without  doubt  final.  There  was  no 
questioning  the  tone  in  which  he  said,  "  I'd 
rather  be  dead  than  live  without  her,  doctor. 
You  knows  what  that  would  mean,  to  live 
like  that  and  see  'em  starve.  You  must  just 
do  your  best.  They  all  knows  you'll  do 
that." 

The  preliminary  operation  had  to  be  done 


A  PARTIAL  CONVERSION      115 

without  putting  him  to  sleep — for  he  dreaded 
the  idea  as  less  familiar  than  pain,  which  he 
knew  well  enough  how  to  bear — while  we 
too  were  glad  enough  not  to  have  to  incur 
the  additional  risk  of  an  anaesthetic  in  his 
condition. 

By  the  time  we  were  through,  the  handy 
owner  of  our  little  house  had  ready  for  us  a 
wooden  arm  bath  of  large  dimensions  with 
well-rounded  and  sloping  sides,  capable  of 
holding  plenty  of  water.  The  whole  was  as 
neat  and  water-tight  as  the  boats  he  built,  its 
seams  being  well  caulked  with  pitch. 

Into  this  the  arm  was  slung,  with  real  blocks 
and  tackles  from  the  ceiling,  so  as  to  be  quite 
movable.     And  so  the  long  struggle  began. 

Messengers  had  been  despatched  long  be- 
fore for  the  priest,  who  was  domiciled  fifty  miles 
to  the  south  and  so  was  considered  compara- 
tively close.  The  good  fellow  arrived  just 
at  this  juncture,  a  man  of  hearty,  cheerful 
disposition,  whose  ministrations  were,  if  of 
no  other  value,  at  any  rate  a  psychological 
factor  that  added  yet  another  chance  of  suc- 
cess in  the  struggle  we  were  dreading. 

At  the  end  of  the  first  week  victory  seemed 
ours.  The  priest  had  left  for  the  south  en- 
trusting the  daily  reading  of  the  prayers  from 


Ii6  DOWN  NORTH  on  The  LABRADOR 

the  missal  to  the  good  house-mother,  who, 
though  herself  a  very  rigid  Methodist,  was 
far  too  kind  of  heart  to  feel  any  compunction 
in  rendering  a  service  that  might  give  help 
or  pleasure  to  another  in  trouble.  It  was 
possibly  some  little  offset  to  her  conscience 
that  the  wording  was  in  Latin,  in  which 
language  she  was  not  versed,  nor  for  that 
same  reason  did  errors  in  reading  seriously 
affect  poor  Tim. 

By  the  tenth  day  the  swelling  of  the  shat- 
tered limb  was  in  no  way  reduced — the 
powder  driven  in  before  being  burnt  re- 
sisted all  attempts  to  get  a  clean  wound. 
The  brave  fellow  had  lost  flesh  steadily.  To 
keep  his  arm  under  the  hot  solution  he  was 
forced  to  sleep  in  a  sitting  position,  and  now 
our  scanty  supplies  of  antiseptics  were  get- 
ting exhausted.  Once  more  we  had  to  ad- 
vise him  that  he  was  risking  his  life,  and 
that  even  removal  of  the  whole  arm  might 
be  of  little  value  if  there  were  any  longer  de- 
lay. But  Tim  was  as  immovable  as  a  rock 
"  I'd  rather  die  without  it,  doctor.  I 
couldn't  bear  to  live  and  be  no  use  to  no 
one."  It  was  of  course  still  impossible  to 
leave  him  by  night  or  day,  and  with  no 
trained  nurse  to  help,  we  took  turns  to  re- 


A  PARTIAL  CONVERSION      117 

main  in  the  room  at  night,  getting  what 
sleep  we  could  in  our  sleeping  bags, 
stretched  out  on  an  improvised  settee. 

Our  supply  of  antiseptics  finally  ran  out  at 
the  end  of  the  fourth  week,  and  we  had  to 
do  the  best  we  could  with  well-boiled  water. 
This  involved  a  material  increase  in  the  sup- 
ply needed,  and  taxed  to  the  utmost  our  ket- 
tle capacity.  The  water  itself  had  to  be  car- 
ried a  long  way,  as  every  source  of  supply 
near  at  hand  was  frozen  solid.  Chopped  ice 
thrown  into  the  kettle  served  for  the  limited 
needs  of  the  household  under  ordinary  cir- 
cumstances. We  had  now  to  look  to  our 
dogs,  or  those  of  some  kindly  neighbour,  to 
haul  us  barrels  full  of  water  from  a  rapid 
mountain  stream  that  never  froze  solid  quite 
to  the  bottom. 

To  add  to  our  troubles  we  had  not  again 
been  able  to  communicate  with  the  islands 
The  heavy  Atlantic  ice  outside  had  been  con- 
stantly gliding  through  the  channels  with 
strong  winds  and  a  heavy  swell,  so  that  we 
had  not  the  comfort  of  being  able  to  keep 
Tim's  wife  and  friends  informed  of  our  views 
of  the  'situation.  Moreover,  the  poor  fellow 
had  been  suffering  a  great  deal  of  pain  of 
late  and  it  was  simply  impossible  to  keep 
him  constantly  under  opiates.     At  his  own 


Ii8  DOWN  NORTH  on  The  LABRADOR 

urgent  request  messengers  were  once  more 
despatched  to  the  priest  that  he  might  at 
least  send  down  a  few  bottles  of  water  that 
he  had  blessed,  in  the  hope  that  it  might 
afford  some  relief.  Of  this  each  morning 
and  evening  a  few  drops  were  sprinkled  in 
the  bath  before  his  eyes,  and  though,  of 
course,  we  had  had  to  boil  it  beforehand,  it 
didn't  lose  its  efficiency.  For  it  never  failed 
to  quiet  him  down,  and  so  to  render  possible 
the  rest  that  was  a  vital  necessity  in  his  con- 
dition. 

It  was  not  till  six  weeks  had  elapsed  that 
it  became  no  longer  necessary  to  float  the 
wounded  limb.  Openings  and  counter-open- 
ings had  been  imperative  as  high  up  as  the 
armpit,  and  even  now,  though  delighted  with 
the  fact  that  with  improving  appetite  and 
sleep,  Tim's  life  was  going  to  be  spared, 
we  were  rather  apprehensive  that  the  result 
he  dreaded  more  than  death  would  still  be 
unavoidable.  The  arm  was  a  veritable  wreck 
to  look  at,  and  as  immovable  as  the  broom- 
handle,  which  it  much  resembled.  What  a 
joyous  night  it  was,  however,  when  at  last 
we  got  Tim  out  of  his  armchair  and  into  a 
bed  between  real  sheets.  An  event  which, 
happening  on  the  same  day  that  we  once 
more  got  news  through   from  the  islands, 


A  PARTIAL  CONVERSION      119 

made  it  indeed  a  red-letter  day  in  our  annals. 
A  fortnight's  massage  and  passive  move- 
ments worked  wonders  with  the  arm  and 
wrist,  but  more  than  that  is  necessary  for  a 
hook  and  line  fisherman. 

To  earn  a  living  a  poor  man  like  Tim 
must  be  able  to  row  cross  handed,  that  is 
with  two  oars  at  once — to  haul  his  long 
hand-lines  he  must  be  able  to  grip  them  with 
either,  and  so  haul  them  in  hand  over  hand 
— the  only  alternative  being  to  nip  the  part 
hauled  in  by  one  knee  against  the  gunwale 
of  the  boat,  while  the  hand  seeks  a  new  grip. 
In  our  deep  waters  this  process  makes  fish- 
ing altogether  too  slow  to  be  remunerative. 

It  therefore  became  necessary  to  try  a  sec- 
ondary operation  with  a  view  to  giving  him 
something  against  which  to  oppose  the 
thumb,  which  he  was,  as  if  by  a  miracle, 
still  able  to  control.  By  a  little  careful 
scheming  beforehand  and  a  transposition  of 
fragments,  a  plan  devised  to  accomplish  this 
proved  successful  beyond  our  anticipation. 
Though,  through  lack  of  tendon  tissue,  we 
could  only  make  the  hand  resemble  a  bird's 
bill  with  but  one  movable  jaw,  we  secured 
the  ability  to  "nip,"  which,  though  appar- 
ently only  a  slight  advantage,  really  meant 
all  the  difference  in  the  world  to  our  friend 


I20  DOWN  NORTH  on  The  LABRADOR 

The  final  stage  was  to  obtain  a  covering 
for  the  still  large  open  surface  from  which  the 
skin  had  been  destroyed.  We  were  all  so 
interested  by  Tim's  pluck  and  gratitude  that 
volunteers  to  supply  grafts  from  themselves 
for  that  purpose  were  not  long  lacking,  and 
before  the  time  came  for  Tim  to  leave  us, 
and  commence  the  summer  fishing,  he  was 
to  all  intents  and  purposes  a  well  man.  Once 
or  twice  during  the  summer  his  small  boat 
might  have  been  noticed  running  in  to  our 
harbour,  during  a  spell  in  the  fishing,  just 
to  report  progress.  Happily  it  was  so  or- 
dered that  the  season  should  prove  a  good 
one  for  the  inshore  fishermen,  and  it  added 
no  little  to  our  pleasure  to  see  now  and 
again  the  beaming  countenance  of  our  friend, 
as  he  came  with  some  small  offering  to  help 
on  similar  work  being  done  for  others. 
With  a  quiet  smile  on  his  face  he  would 
sometimes  hold  up  the  injured  hand,  and 
point  out  the  similarity  of  it  to  the  fore  fin 
of  one  of  our  seals,  dryly  remarking  on  one 
occasion,  "  Well,  doctor,  all  the  rest  of  me 
is  Catholic,  but  I  'lows  even  I  can't  stop  this 
flipper  being  Protestant." 


IX 

^he  Sources  of  Pleasure 

IN  our  small  mission  hospital  steamer, 
Strathcona,  we  were  as  usual  cruising 
among  the  fishing  fleets  of  Labrador 
during  the  season  of  open  water. 

"There's  a  big  yacht  alongside,  doctor, 
and  their  boat  has  brought  you  over  a  letter," 
said  our  steward  one  morning,  handing  me  a 
neat  envelope  bearing  the  crest  of  a  big  yacht 
club.  We  were  working  at  the  time  over  a 
sick  man  in  the  little  hospital  below  decks, 
where  we  hold  our  peripatetic  clinic.  Thus 
we  had  missed  seeing  her  approach.  A 
crowd  of  other  applicants  were  waiting  on 
deck  for  such  services  as  we  could  render. 

The  caparisons  of  wealth  are  so  rare  in  our 
northern  regions  that  this  unexpected  news 
brought  us  all  up  on  deck.  Anchored  quite 
close  alongside  was  a  large  and  beautiful 
steam  yacht.  Her  brass  work  shone  in  the  sun- 
shine, and  her  enamelled  paintwork  gleamed 
and  glistened  so  beautifully,  it  did  one  real 
good  to  look  at  her.  She  carried  also  the 
snowiest  of  white  sails,  which  were  lying  still 

121 


122  DOWN  NORTH  on  The  LABRADOR 

"  deshabille "  on  the  spars,  having  been  re- 
cently lowered.  The  whole  was  touched  off 
by  the  gay  bunting  flying  at  her  foremast 
and  flagpole  that  announced  her  club  affilia- 
tion and  her  country.  A  party  of  gaily 
dressed  ladies  and  gentlemen  in  yachting  suits 
were  on  the  bridge,  some  of  whom  were  spy- 
ing down  through  glasses  at  the  crowded 
decks  of  our  battered  little  mission  steamer. 
Remembering  the  feelings  that  scratches  on 
painted  sides  inspired  in  me  before  mission 
work  compelled  any  interest,  I  confess  I  felt 
momentarily  ashamed  of  the  rust  marks,  where 
the  banging  of  many  boats  alongside  had 
chipped  off  our  spring  coat  of  paint. 

On  opening  the  note  it  proved  to  contain 
an  introduction  from  a  mutual  friend,  and  an 
invitation  to  go  on  board  to  lunch  which 
"would  be  served  shortly.'*  As  there  was 
a  thoughtful  postscript,  "no  need  to  dress 
up,"  I  accepted  more  readily,  not  to  say  more 
easily,  considering  the  state  of  a  Labrador 
wardrobe. 

She  certainly  was  a  beauty.  Hard  wood 
decks  in  tiny  strips,  mahogany  deck  houses,- 
well  nickelled  fittings,  bright  Turkish  mats, 
setting  off  red  Morocco  leather  upholsterings. 
To  the  table,  laden  with  southern  delicacies 
of  fruit,  fresh  from  her  ice  lockers,  was  added 


The  SOURCES  of  PLEASURE    123 

all  the  attraction  that  the  best  of  silver  and 
cut  glass  could  afford.  The  colouring  of  the 
ladies'  dresses,  the  immaculate  table  furnish- 
ings, and  the  almost  polished  stewards,  sent 
a  sensation  down  one's  back,  when  thus  sud- 
denly contrasted  with  our  own  humble  ship, 
like  that  afforded  by  the  morning  plunge  into 
these  always  stimulating  waters. 

Yet  in  spite  of  it  all,  the  prevailing  note  in 
the  conversation  was  one  of  discontent,  and 
there  seemed  to  be  more  complaints  against 
the  "  bad  luck  "  they  were  having  than  I  had 
heard  since  we  put  to  sea.  The  sole  object 
of  their  cruise  was  obviously  pleasure.  They 
had  hoped  to  trap  that  somewhat  fickle  lady 
by  catching  unsophisticated  salmon,  large  and 
numerous,  on  what  our  people  call  a  "fly 
pole."  But  it  seemed  the  salmon  in  the  three 
rivers  they  had  already  tried  had  not  fallen  in 
with  their  ideas  on  the  matter.  "The  largest 
we've  landed,"  said  my  host,  "was  only  fifteen 
pounds."  "  Gerald  caught  eight  in  two 
hours  the  other  day  in  one  pool,  but  they  only 
ran  to  six  pounds  apiece."  "These  con- 
founded rivers  are  a  fraud,"  was  the  general 
consensus  of  opinion. 

This  decision  was  emphasized  by  the  fact 
that  the  party  had  ventured  off  on  one  oc- 
casion without  proper  provision  against  mos- 


124  DOWN  NORTH  on  The  LABRADOR 

quitoes,  and  the  results  had  been  neither  dig- 
nified nor  aesthetic.  They  had  eventually 
heard  that  the  best  rivers  for  salmon  fishing 
were  known  to  me,  and  they  had  sought  me 
out  to  ask  advice  as  to  which  one  to  try  next. 
Having  explained  that  an  old  fox  doesn't 
readily  go  to  a  trap,  and  consequently  the 
unwisdom  of  giving  advice  to  any  one,  such 
charts  as  exist  of  our  coast  were  produced 
and  I  marked  in  a  few  rivers  that  the  cartog- 
raphers have  overlooked. 

Our  new  found  acquaintances  proved  to  be 
what  I  have  heard  called  "  good  sportsmen," 
in  spite  of  their  environment  of  soft  things. 
Though  a  long  pull  up  to  the  *'  first  pool " 
and  a  poor  anchorage  "  when  the  wind  came 
in  northeasterly"  did  not  seem  to  appeal 
much  to  them  when  deciding  the  all  impor- 
tant question  as  where  to  go  next.  What  a 
terrible  knotty  point  it  was !     Unluckily  there 

was  a  show  at  in  three  weeks'  time, 

which  two  at  least  ought  not  to  miss,  and  then 
there  was  what  appeared  to  be  an  exceedingly 
important  house  party,  which  left  two  others 
just  as  anxious.  For  these  causes  a  some- 
what more  distant  but  almost  "  dead  certain 
river  "  proved  a  thorn  in  the  flesh  which  cost 
me  much  valuable  time  discussing.  One 
couldn't  help  feeling  sorry  that  there  was  any 


The  SOURCES  of  PLEASURE    125 

friction  over  even  a  point  of,  what  appeared 
to  them,  such  absorbing  importance. 

But  I  confess  what  was  troubling  me  most 
now  was  my  own  temporary  desertion  of  my 
colleague  on  the  mission  boat,  whom  I  had 
felt  mean  in  having  to  leave  behind  at  all  on 
this  great  occasion.  For  he  was  such  a  good 
fellow  and  had  such  a  keen  sense  of  humour, 
and  was  moreover  a  volunteer  at  his  own  ex- 
pense, having  actually  left  his  own  yacht  out 
of  commission  for  the  season  to  come  and 
give  me  a  hand  among  the  fishermen. 

At  length  a  decision  appeared  to  be  arrived 
at,  and  I  perceived  my  hosts  were  getting 
anxious  to  be  off  about  their  business.  I  felt 
also  that  it  would  not  be  right  to  let  them 
waste  further  time.  So  I  rose  and  bade  good- 
bye to  my  new  acquaintances  and  prepared 
to  take  my  leave.  My  courteous  host  accom- 
panied me  to  the  gangway.  As  we  ap- 
proached we  heard  a  somewhat  acrimonious 
discussion  being  carried  on  from  the  ladder. 
It  proved  to  be  the  yacht's  boatswain,  who 
was  ordering  a  fishing  boat  away  from  the 
side  of  the  ship,  to  which  a  stalwart  fisherman 
had  evidently  intended  to  fasten  it.  There 
was  a  girl  in  the  stern  of  the  boat,  wrapped 
round  in  a  warm  shawl. 

"  The  doctor  says  you  was  going  to  ■ 


126  DOWN  NORTH  on  The  LABRADOR 

Harbour,  sir,"  said  the  fisherman,  catching 
sight  of  the  owner  walking  with  me,  "  and 
perhaps  you'd  give  her  a  passage  down  to 
hospital.  She  be  very  sick,  sir,  and  he  says 
it  wouldn't  be  far  out  of  your  way." 

"  You  keep  that  boat  away  from  our  paint, 
I  tell  you,"  was  the  boatswain's  only  reply. 
"  You've  made  a  black  smudge  already.  She 
wouldn't  be  fit  to  look  at  in  half  an  hour,  I 
tell  you." 

I  recognized  the  boat,  and  knew  the  kind- 
ness it  would  be  to  get  the  girl  to  where  she 
could  be  properly  taken  care  of,  so  I  plucked 
up  courage  and  explained  that  we  were  our- 
selves bound  the  other  way,  and  that  as  they 
would  have  to  pass  near  the  hospital  before 
night,  it  would  only  be  a  deck  passage  that 
she  would  need. 

I  could  see  at  once  I  had  utterly  failed  to 
realize  the  view-point  of  my  friend.  It  had 
absolutely  never  occurred  to  me  how  they  re- 
garded sickness  of  any  kind.  He  was  far 
too  courteous  to  say  anything  to  hurt  my 
feelings,  but  I  could  see  what  a  terrible  new 
feature  I  had  introduced  into  his  already  suf- 
ficiently puzzling  dilemma.  He  merely  re- 
plied, "I'll  speak  to  the  others,  if  you'll  wait 
a  moment."  Meanwhile  he  thoughtfully  told 
the  boatswain  to  take  the  boat's  painter  and 


The  SOURCES  of  PLEASURE    127 

make  it  fast.  But  I  felt  like  a  bull  in  a  china 
shop  all  the  same  as  I  leaned  on  the  rail,  while 
he  went  forward  to  fling  this  new  thunder- 
bolt among  his  guests,  leaving  me  to  watch 
the  evidently  chagrined  boatswain  fending  off 
the  intruding  boat  with  a  fine  brass-topped 
boat-hook,  as  if  it  were  some  dangerous 
animal. 

"Is  there  no  other  way  to  get  the  girl 
where  she  wants  to  go  ?  "  queried  the  owner 
on  his  return.  "  She  might  be  infectious,  you 
know,  and  the  ladies  are  just  a  little  afraid." 

Fortunately  that  point  had  been  agitating 
my  brains  also  during  "  the  interim  "  and  I 
was  all  ready  with  an  answer.  "Oh,  don't 
trouble,  that  schooner  over  there  is  going 
north  soon,  and  I  have  no  doubt  I  can  ar- 
range with  the  skipper  to  take  her.  They 
are  more  accustomed  to  that  kind  of  work, 
and  will  be  glad  to  do  it,  I  know.  Indeed  I 
often  get  them  to  do  that  sort  of  thing  for 
me.  I  assure  you  it's  nothing  out  of  the  or- 
dinary and  I'm  really  sorry  to  have  added  to 
your  worries." 

"  Do  you  think  they'd  go  at  once?"  he  re- 
plied. "I  shouldn't  be  easy  if  I  thought 
anything  might  happen  to  the  girl  by  the 
delay." 

**  I  can't  be  sure,  of  course,  because  it  would 


128  DOWN  NORTH  on  The  LABRADOR 

not  do  to  ask  them,  if  they  are  doing  well 
with  the  fish  here — it  might  mean  losing  a 
voyage  of  fish.  But  I'll  certainly  do  my  best, 
and  I  beg  you  not  to  worry  further." 

With  a  sigh  of  relief  he  took  out  his  pocket- 
book.  "There's  one  hundred  dollars,"  he 
said ;  "  do  you  think  that  they'd  run  her  down 
specially  to  the  hospital  for  that  ?  " 

"I  should  feel  less  diffidence  in  asking 
them,"  I  replied.  "  But  the  skipper  wouldn't 
take  the  money,  I  can  assure  you,  for  carry- 
ing any  sick  person  along,  unless  his  share- 
men  will  lose  by  it.  I  know  his  men  are  on 
shares,  and  it  might  give  them  cause  to  com- 
plain, as  they  wouldn't  feel  they  were  asked 
in  the  matter,  and  therefore  they  wouldn't 
have  the  pleasure  of  doing  the  kindness." 
We  never  pay  on  the  coast  for  this  kind  of 
brotherliness.  It  is  the  only  wealth  they  have 
to  give  away  much  of,  and  they  know  the 
value  of  the  joy  of  service. 

The  yacht  waited  long  enough  to  see  that 
the  schooner  master  was  willing — and  then 
got  up  her  anchors  and  left  us.  But  I  no- 
ticed, as  she  passed  the  heads,  that  in  spite 
of  our  long  conference  and  final  decision  she 
headed  after  all  in  the  opposite  direction. 
Maybe,  I  thought,  they  were  sent  in  here  to 
learn  about  other  things  than  they  expected. 


The  SOURCES  of  PLEASURE    129 

I  found  my  colleague  patiently  at  work 
still,  when  I  returned  on  board.  I  narrated 
the  incidents  of  my  visit  to  the  yacht. 

**  I  hope  they  won't  have  anything  more 
to  interrupt  their  enjoyments,"  he  replied, 
*'  but  it  sort  of  makes  one  feel  not  desirous  to 
change  places  with  them." 


X 

Suzanne 

UNCLE  JONAS  had  missed  the  fish. 
For  the  first  time  within  the  memory 
of  many  neighbours  in  Deep  Water 
Creek  Uncle  Jonas'  schooner  had  "  come 
back  from  t'  Larbador,  clean." 

Under  ordinary  circumstances  even  the 
catastrophe  of  one  family  being  unable  to 
purchase  supplies  for  the  winter  would  not 
have  been  a  matter  of  deep  concern  to  the 
inhabitants  of  the  Creek.  For  they  were 
accustomed  to  having  "  to  make  things  do  " 
and  no  one  ever  heard  a  real  Livyere  from 
the  Atlantic  seaboard  "  squealing "  because 
it  had  "pleased  t'  Lord  they  shouldn't  be 
able  to  reach  to  fats  after  Easter." 

But  this  case  was  somewhat  different. 
Uncle  Jonas'  hospitality  was  an  institution. 
It  was  as  much  a  matter  of  course  as  the  ice 
in  the  harbour.  Every  benighted  traveller, 
every  desolate  family  following  the  komatik 
track  because  they  had  no  longer  any  food 
in  the  locker  at  home,  even  every  starving 
130 


SUZANNE  131 

dogf  team  whose  lord  and  master  could  no 
longer  find  them  a  morsel  to  put  in  their 
stomachs,  knew  which  way  to  turn  when 
they  caught  sight  of  the  blue  smoke  of  the 
cottages  above  the  cliffs  that  made  the 
harbour  of  Deep  Water  Creek.  Uncle  Jonas' 
had  ever  been  a  veritable  city  of  refuge  for 
many  miles  of  coast  both  north  and  south. 

No  one,  good,  bad  or  indifferent  had  ever 
been  known  to  knock  at  Uncle  Jonas'  door 
without  getting,  whatever  the  time  of  day, 
the  cheery  invitation  "  to  sit  right  in  and 
have  a  cup  o'  hot  tea." 

But  though  this  unaffected  love  out  of  a 
pure  heart  had  ever  proved  to  the  man's  own 
soul  the  truest  of  God's  blessings,  it  had  not 
been  purchased  without  cost.  For  Uncle 
Jonas  enjoyed  yet  another  blessing  straight 
from  God's  hands,  and  that  was  a  quiverful 
of  children — possessions  of  which  a  million- 
aire might  have  well  been  proud.  His  four 
stalwart  boys  were  already  able  to  help  with 
the  trap  net,  and  though  the  youngest  could 
scarcely  yet  row  "cross-handed,"  i.  e.,  handle 
two  oars  at  once,  all  four  were  rated  in  the 
crew  of  the  Saucy  Lass  when  Uncle  Jonas 
cleared  in  the  spring  of  the  year  for  the 
annual  voyage  "  Northward  Ho."  His  five 
lasses  also,  having  come  early  in  the  sequence, 


132  DOWN  NORTH  on  The  LABRADOR 

had  been  invaluable,  first  in  helping  in  the 
home  and  in  the  garden  and  with  the  rapidly 
following  babies — while  the  eldest  had  twice 
sailed  as  cook  in  the  schooner  before  the 
boys  had  been  of  an  age  to  leave  home.  She 
was  eighteen  now,  and  though  as  bonnie  a 
lass  as  the  countryside  could  produce,  with 
her  clear,  rosy  cheeks  and  the  curly  shock  of 
black  hair  she  had  inherited  from  her  mother, 
she  was  still  living  at  home. 

There  are  no  industries  in  the  Creek  at 
which  young  women  can  earn  money  to 
help  out  on  expenses.  When  the  men  bring 
home  a  full  fare,  however,  they  are  able  to 
earn  quite  a  bit  at  washing,  cleaning  and 
spreading  the  fish  and  so  helping  to  get  it 
earlier  to  the  market  and  secure  a  better 
price.  This  year  even  that  occupation  was 
denied  them. 

It  is  not  unnatural  that  the  families  in 
these  out-of-the-world  places  should  cling 
together  with  even  more  than  the  tenacity 
we  are  accustomed  to  in  the  more  crowded 
centres.  For  everything  outside  is  like  one 
vast  unknown  land  and  ghosts  of  the  dan- 
gers that  lurk  there  unseen  haunt  the  fancies 
of  our  home-loving  fisher  folk.  Indeed,  who 
shall  blame  them  for  the  sensitiveness  of  their 
imagination,   seeing    that    the  contempt  of 


SUZANNE  133 

familiarity  has  so  often  proved  the  path  to 
ruin  among  our  own. 

However,  with  Uncle  Jonas'  failure  to  secure 
a  "fare  of  fish"  a  crisis  of  unusual  portent 
faced  the  Creek.  If  he  had  no  fish  under  salt, 
there  were  certainly  others  in  the  same  situ- 
ation, and  there  could  be  little  doubt  that 
there  would  be  more  mouths  than  the  suf)- 
plies  attainable  before  navigation  closed  could 
be  expected  to  fill.  No  wonder  that  a  certain 
amount  of  gloom  lurked  in  this  usually  happy 
little  cove. 

There  seemed  only  one  way  out  of  the 
dilemma  as  far  as  the  village  fathers  could  see, 
and  that  was  to  lessen  the  number  of  mouths. 

Reluctantly,  as  Virginius  of  old,  Uncle 
Jonas  realized  that  only  one  way  w-as  open 
to  him.  His  eldest  girl,  Suzanne,  would  have 
to  go  out  to  service.  It  was  neither  a  pleas- 
ant nor  easy  task  to  finally  bring  the  matter 
to  an  issue,  and  it  was  only  after  many  tear- 
ful farewells  that  at  length,  with  her  home- 
made travelling  chest  filled  with  all  the  little 
tokens  of  love  that  her  family  and  friends 
could  "  reach  to,"  Suzanne  finally  embarked 
on  the  last  schooner  from  the  harbour 
that  was  going  south.  Thus  she  fared  forth 
into  the  wide  and  unknown  world  beyond 
the  dearly  loved,  though  rugged  cluster  of 


134  DOWN  NORTH  on  The  LABRADOR 

rocks  that  closes  the  harbour  in,  and  that 
were  not  inappropriately  known  as  Break- 
Heart-Point. 

The  letters  that  reach  Deep  Water  Creek 
in  winter  are  few  and  far  between.  True, 
twice  during  the  long  months  of  frozen  water, 
toiling  dog  teams  bring  what  we  please  to 
call  the  winter  mails.  But  they  are  unsafe 
and  uncertain  at  best,  and  many  prefer  to 
consider  no  news  good  news  rather  than  risk 
anxious  weeks  because  they  have  trusted  to 
what  has  so  often  caused  entirely  unnecessary 
worry. 

One  letter,  however,  did  come  through, 
and  it  brought  the  joyful  news  that  Suzanne 
had  found  a  home  with  a  fine  Christian 
planter,  whose  wife  promised  well  to  be  a 
second  mother  to  her.  The  maid  that  helps 
is  as  much  one  of  the  family  as  those  she 
ministers  to  in  our  unsophisticated  country. 

No  letter  was  ever  received  from  Suzanne 
again — only  a  brief  line  from  the  planter  to 
tell  Uncle  Jonas  the  sad  news  that  his  own 
young  wife  had  died  during  her  first  confine- 
ment just  before  Christmas.  Consequently 
Suzanne  had  been  thus  out  and  about  a  good 
deal  during  the  spring.  She  had  eventually 
sailed  north  for  the  summer,  having  shipped 
as  cook  on  a   Labrador  schooner   entirely 


SUZANNE  135 

against  his  will.  She  insisted  she  had  filled 
a  similar  position  twice  before. 

Late  in  the  year  I  was  cruising  in  our  mis- 
sion hospital  boat  with  the  most  northern  fleet 
of  vessels.  We  had  been  threading  our  way- 
through  a  veritable  archipelago  of  uncharted 
islands,  seeking  a  place  to  bring  up  for  the 
night  where  we  might  be  in  the  neighbour- 
hood of  other  vessels,  to  the  occupants  of 
which  we  might  be  able  to  give  medical  or 
surgical  assistance.  Suddenly  the  watch  re- 
ported a  small  schooner  with  flag  at  half 
mast,  and  a  six-oared  seine  skiff  with  a 
spudger  (or  sign)  up,  crossing  the  ship's  run 
to  intercept  us. 

It  was  only  necessary  to  slow  down  and 
throw  their  bowman  a  line  to  soon  have  the 
seine  master  on  board. 

"Skipper's  compliments,  doctor,"  he  said 
as  he  gripped  my  hand.  "  We've  a  girl  very 
bad  on  board.  We  wants  you  to  come  along- 
side if  so  be  you  can  manage  it." 

We  needed  no  second  invitation.  While 
our  new  friends  returned  to  relieve  their 
skipper's  mind,  and  prepare  for  our  arrival, 
we  moored  for  the  night  and  got  ready  such 
accessories  as  we  deemed  from  the  informa- 
tion derived  from  our  visitors  that  the  cir- 
cumstances called  for. 


136  DOWN  NORTH  on  The  LABRADOR 

The  details  that  impressed  this  case  vividly 
on  my  memory,  among  so  many  others,  do 
not  bear  retelling  here.  I  was  ushered  into 
the  schooner's  small  and  dark  after-cabin  that 
had  been  abandoned  by  the  kindly  men. 
There,  by  the  light  of  a  tiny  kerosene  lamp, 
I  found  a  young  girl  lying  in  the  dark  bunk 
built  into  the  side  of  the  ship.  Her  bloodless 
face,  hollow  eyes,  parched  lips  and  fevered 
cheeks,  in  the  setting  of  a  tangled  mass  of 
endless  jet  black  wavy  hair,  loomed  up  as 
soon  as  my  eyes  got  accustomed  to  the  semi- 
darkness.  I  was  conscious  she  was  peering 
directly  into  my  face  with  the  hungry  look  of 
some  wild  animal  at  bay. 

A  child  of  fifteen,  her  only  companion,  was 
crouching  at  the  foot  of  the  bunk,  and  add- 
ing to  the  pathos  of  the  moment  by  her 
pitiful  wailing,  which  seemed  to  beat  time 
with  the  sounds  of  the  waves  lapping  against 
the  planking  of  the  vessel's  quarter. 

It  was  the  old  story — a  trusting  girl — a 
false  lover,  a  betrayal — and  a  wild,  unreason- 
ing flight  to  anywhere,  anywhere  that  seemed 
to  offer,  however  vaguely,  still  a  temporary 
postponement  of  the  inevitable  harvest  of 
shame,  and  sorrow,  and  suffering.  Hither, 
hundreds  of  miles  from  anywhere,  this  mere 
child  had  fled,  hoping  that  possibly  death, 


SUZANNE  137 

with  its  false  offer  of  mercy  through  oblivion, 
might  spare  her  seeing  the  grief  of  those  who 
loved  her.  For  well  she  knew  the  inevitable 
consequences,  when  the  sorrowful  tale  should 
reach  the  peaceful  hamlet  by  the  sea  from 
which  she  had  but  so  recently  set  out. 

This  was  no  time  for  philosophy,  however. 
Every  minute  was  precious.  For  it  was  a 
case  in  which  one  had  to  work  single-handed. 

The  baby  had  been  born  four  days  and 
was  dead.  Every  member  of  the  crew  was  a 
stranger  to  the  girl,  and  anyhow  even  with 
all  the  sympathy  and  kindliness  so  universal 
in  our  men  of  the  sea,  they  had  been  far  too 
frightened  lest  they  might  do  injury  to  touch 
even  a  rag  of  the  poor  coverings  that  fairly 
littered  the  bed.  For  every  man  had  con- 
tributed generously  of  whatever  he  had  that 
might  possibly  be  of  any  use. 

An  hour  later  my  patient,  wrapped  up  like 
a  mummy  in  clean  linen  and  blankets,  was 
tenderly  carried  on  deck,  and  ferried  over  in 
the  ship's  jolly-boat  to  the  hospital  steamer. 
The  boat  that  served  us  then  was  indeed  so 
small  that  she  allowed  no  special  provision 
for  patients.  Beside  my  own  cabin  and  the 
saloon,  there  were  no  spare  accommodations 
below  decks.  On  the  settle  of  the  latter,  as 
being  more  airy  and  convenient  for  moving 


138  DOWN  NORTH  on  The  LABRADOR 

about  in,  we  built  up  a  bunk  which  should 
prevent  at  least  the  risk  of  a  serious  fall  in  a 
seaway. 

As  soon  as  the  first  rays  of  dawn  permitted 
us  to  weigh  anchor  we  ran  south  for  a  Mora- 
vian mission  station,  where  we  hoped  we 
might  induce  a  kind-hearted  married  woman 
with  some  knowledge  that  might  be  useful  to 
us  in  our  dilemma  to  come  south  with  us  as 
far  as  our  northern  little  hospital. 

It  was  not  until  next  day,  however,  that 
we  anchored  once  more  in  the  quiet  waters 
of  Okkak  Bay.  Here,  under  the  great  cliffs 
that  flank  the  harbour,  lies  the  little  sta- 
tion where  for  over  one  hundred  years  the 
self-sacrificing  missionaries  of  the  Moravian 
Church  have  been  doing  their  best  to  uplift 
the  Eskimos  of  this  bleak  north  coast.  One 
might  have  supposed  that  a  mother  with 
children  of  her  own  would  hesitate  even  in 
such  a  dilemma  from  venturing  forth  in  so 
small  a  vessel  as  ours.  For  the  troubles  of 
the  sea  are  by  no  means  confined  to  the  sen- 
sitive organisms  of  those  living  in  civilization. 

But  she  looked  upon  the  opportunity  as 
only  one  more  gift  of  Him  whose  service  had 
called  her  from  the  homeland  nearly  twenty 
years  before.  Without  hesitation,  as  if  it 
were  an  ordinary  daily  duty,  she  set  about 


SUZANNE  139 

preparing  for  the  trip,  her  husband  agreeing 
to  accompany  us  that  he  might  see  her  home 
when  her  service  should  be  no  more  needed. 

The  evening  was  by  no  means  idle ;  to 
afford  even  a  chance  of  saving  my  patient 
an  operation  became  necessary,  and  the  help 
from  the  station  and  the  quiet  of  the  harbour 
made  it  possible  and  wisest  not  to  risk  the 
delay  that  would  be  inevitable  before  we 
could  reach  hospital,  if  the  weather  should 
be  boisterous.  Things  went  well.  Before 
night  the  patient's  pulse  had  fallen,  and  the 
watchers  in  turn  reported  a  much  better  rest. 
When  morning  came  the  girl  herself  felt  she 
could  face  another  stage  of  the  journey.  To 
run  out  to  sea,  make  the  necessary  crossing 
and  run  in  on  a  parallel  of  latitude  to  the 
hospital  would  be  our  quickest  way.  But 
that,  with  the  wind  on  the  land,  made  the 
heaving  and  rolling  dangerous.  By  keeping 
the  inside  runs,  we  got  smooth  water,  but 
could  not  move  during  the  darkness. 

A  brilliant  aurora  favoured  us  the  next 
night  and  we  pushed  on  until  about  mid- 
night, when  its  sudden  disappearance  left  us 
in  such  absolute  darkness  that  we  were  com- 
pelled to  anchor  at  once.  The  improving 
pulse  and  temperature  and  the  steady  dim- 
inution of  physical  symptoms  that  had  caused 


I40  DOWN  NORTH  on  The  LABRADOR 

us  much  grave  anxiety  during  these  first  two 
days  gave  me  a  light  heart. 

Every  time  I  visited  the  patient  I  expected 
to  recognize  the  corresponding  assurance  in 
her  face  that  she  was  really  on  the  road  to 
recovery,  but  every  time  I  looked  in  vain. 
It  became  such  a  puzzle  to  me  at  last  that  to 
cheer  her  I  assured  her  she  would  soon  be 
herself  again  so  that  when  the  mail  steamer 
should  come  to  hospital  we  should  be  able 
to  send  her  back  as  well  as  ever  to  her  own 
home  once  more.  I  had  watched  her  care- 
fully to  see  whether  the  thought  of  an  early 
return  to  her  loved  ones  would  not  act  as  a 
stimulus  to  the  child,  an  encouragement  to  her 
to  bring  into  play  the  force  of  her  will,  which 
to  my  mind  is  a  most  important  factor  on  the 
road  to  recovery.  It  needed  no  Sherlock 
Holmes  to  tell  me  I  had  failed.  She  just  lay 
there  looking  at  me  with  a  far-away  look  in 
her  large  black  eyes,  as  of  some  terrified 
fawn  that  is  too  frightened  to  fly  though 
certain  of  impending  danger. 

I  thought  perhaps  the  loving  encourage- 
ment of  the  woman  who  had  ventured  on  the 
trip  solely  that  for  the  Christ's  sake  she 
might  be  of  service  to  a  sister  in  distress 
might  help  me  in  the  dilemma.  So  I  ex- 
plained the  need  to  her  exactly,  and  begged 


SUZANNE  141 

her  to  do  her  best  to  effect  that  which  I 
seemed  utterly  unable  to  attain.  Tenderly 
and  prayerfully  she  tried,  but  only  once  more 
to  meet  with  failure. 

In  the  dusk,  just  before  weighing  our 
anchor,  a  trap-boat  crew  going  to  their  nets 
caught  sight  of  our  riding  light,  and  came 
aboard  with  a  man  who  had  a  badly  poisoned 
hand.  They  had  not  expected  us  to  be  going 
south  so  soon  and  were  delighted  beyond 
measure  to  be  able  to  get  relief  and  dress- 
ings. When  they  learned  that  we  were  run- 
ning south  with  a  sick  girl  for  hospital  they 
at  once  inquired  as  to  who  it  could  be. 
Much  to  my  delight  they  at  once  claimed 
acquaintance,  and  expressed  a  willingness  to 
wait  while  I  went  down  and  prepared  her  for 
their  visit,  on  the  chance  that  they  might  be 
able  to  cheer  her.  I  had  hoped  that  so 
irresistible  a  reminder  of  the  love  of  home 
might  help  her  to  cry,  and  so  relieve  the 
soul  tension  that  was  killing  her.  But  once 
again  it  was  simply  to  count  failure.  I  could 
find  no  way  to  get  her  consent  to  see  them, 
and  I  had  sorrowfully  to  convey  that  infor- 
mation to  the  kindly  fellows  on  deck. 

It  was  no  longer  possible  to  avoid  recog- 
nizing the  inevitable.  I  tried  a  final  appeal 
to  her  to  live  for  her  parents'  sake ;  her  only 


142  DOWN  NORTH  on  The  LABRADOR, 

reply  at  once  was,  "  I  want  to  die,  doctor ;  I 
can  never  go  home  again." 

The  end  came  sooner  than  I  had  antici- 
pated. She  began  to  fail  so  rapidly  and  so 
obviously  that  I  decided  to  abandon  the  at- 
tempt to  reach  the  hospital  and  finally  an- 
chored in  the  still  waters  of  a  lovely  inlet 
to  await  the  last  chapter  of  the  tragedy.  We 
had  not  long  to  wait :  it  was  a  scene  I  shall 
never  forget.  Overhead  the  sun  had  all  day 
long  been  pouring  down  out  of  a  perfect  sky. 
It  spoke  eloquently  of  life  and  the  presump- 
tion of  its  permanency.  Beneath,  the  ex- 
quisite blue  of  the  deep  waters  of  the  fjord 
were  so  still  that  the  last  thing  in  one's  mind 
was  any  realization  that  storm  and  danger 
lurked  in  them  and  on  them. 

The  bold  relief  of  the  massive  granite 
cliffs,  flanked  here  and  there  with  jet  black 
columns  of  outcropping  trap  dykes,  gave  an 
entire  sense  of  security  and  permanence.  A 
majestic  iceberg,  carried  in  by  the  tides,  lay 
only  a  few  hundred  yards  away.  The  deep 
greens  and  blues  in  the  great  crevasses,  that 
relieved  its  dazzling  whiteness  made  one  for- 
get for  the  moment  that  even  so  immense  a 
mass  of  matter  was,  like  ourselves  and  all  the 
rest,  but  a  thing  of  a  day.  Beyond  that  was 
silence — not  even  a  single  fishing  craft  lay 


SUZANNE  143 

within  miles  of  us  to  disturb  the  sense  of  rest 
and  security.  The  sun  sank  behind  the  hills. 
The  tide  was  returning  to  the  great  ocean 
whence  it  had  come.  It  seemed  to  me  after 
all  not  an  unfitting  setting  for  the  passing  of  a 
soul  out  on  that  tide,  which  is  ever  bearing 
on  its  bosom  all  humanity  into  the  great  un- 
known beyond,  carrying  out  with  it  the 
visitor  from  the  arctic  which  it  had  brought 
us  in  the  morning,  as  we  rendered  the  last 
service  within  our  power  to  the  poor  girl 
whom  we  had  so  hoped  to  save. 

Wrapped  in  a  simple  flag,  covered  with  a 
monument  of  unhewn  boulders,  we  left  her 
on  the  lonely  headland  which  looked  out  over 
the  great  Atlantic,  to  wait  till  the  day  when 
the  graves  shall  give  up  their  dead.  A 
simple  wooden  cross  alone  indicated  the 
reason  for  this  artificial  interruption  in  the 
course  of  an  untrammelled  nature.  It  is  the 
emblem  of  our  highest  hope,  that  which  signi- 
fies that  what  is  wrong  in  this  life  shall  even- 
tually be  put  right  in  that  which  lies  beyond. 

The  crosspiece  bore  the  legend  : 

"  Suzanne 
*  Jesus  saidy  neither  do  I  condemn  thee.^ " 

In  a  letter  to  her  parents  we  did  our  best  to 
comfort  them.     For  we  felt  that  the  tragic 


\^  DOWN  NORTH  on  The  LABRADOR 

sequence  of  events  which  led  to  the  poor 
girl's  death  ought  not  to  be  laid  to  her 
charge. 

Two  years  passed  away.  Meantime  many 
troubles  were  poured  into  my  ears,  and  the 
memory  of  the  pitiful  little  story  of  Suzanne 
had  almost  faded  from  my  mind. 

Once  again  we  were  on  the  Labrador  coast 
Guided  by  the  twinkling  deck  lights  of  fish- 
ing schooners  "  putting  away "  the  day's 
catch  after  dark,  we  had  anchored  amongst 
them  for  the  night  in  the  roadstead  near 
some  high  cliffs  behind  whose  shelter  they 
were  working.  We  had  announced  our  ar- 
rival with  two  blasts  of  our  fog  whistle — a 
signal  known  now  to  most  of  the  fishermen. 
The  usual  crowd  of  visitors  that  resort  to  our 
little  vessel  for  news,  or  medicine  or  other 
reasons,  had  come  and  gone.  All  was  silent 
on  deck,  and  we  were  just  "stowing  away" 
for  the  night  when  the  sound  of  yet  another 
boat  alongside  brought  me  up  again. 

As  I  came  out  of  the  companion,  a  single 
white-haired  fisherman  was  climbing  over  the 
side  with  his  painter  in  his  hand.  He  was 
evidently  well  on  in  years,  though  the  feeble 
ray  of  our  riding  light  scarcely  did  more 
than  reveal  the  darkness. 

"Anything  I  can  do  for  you,  friend ? "  I 


SUZANNE  145 

inquired,  as  he  finished  tying  his  boat  fast 
and  turned  around  as  if  uncertain  what  to  do 
next. 

"No,  not  much.  Thank  ye  all  the  same," 
he  replied.  And  then  hesitatingly,  "I  jest 
wants  to  see  t'  doctor." 

"  I'm  the  doctor,  friend.  What  do  you 
need  from  me  ?  " 

"  Be  you  t'  doctor  what  tended  a  girl 
'bout  two  years  agone  on  t'  schooner  Shin- 
ing Light  down  north?  The  baby  were 
born  dead  on  board." 

"  If  you  mean  a  girl  called  Suzanne,  yes. 
I  tended  her  and  buried  her." 

Without  another  word  the  old  man  rever- 
ently took  ofT  his  well-worn  sou'wester  hat, 
and  stood  bareheaded  before  me.  I  re- 
member in  the  weird  setting  of  the  night 
his  long  white  hair  and  gentle  manner  sug- 
gested the  visit  of  some  departed  saint.  I 
waited  for  him  to  speak,  not  knowing  exactly 
what  he  wanted,  though  it  was  plain  he  had 
something  of  moment  on  his  mind. 

"  Do  you'se  think  there  be  any  hope  us'U 
see  her  again,  doctor?"  he  ventured  at 
length.  "  I'd  dearly  love  to  tell  the  old 
woman  what  you  think." 

"  No,  friend,  I  don't  think  it,  I  know  it. 
I'm  certain  of  it — as  certain  as  that  I  see  you 


146  DOWN  NORTH  on  The  LABRADOR 

now  before  me.     But  better  than  that,  she 
was  certain  of  it  too  before  she  left  us." 

"  What  makes  you  say  that,  doctor  ?  I'd 
give  all  I  have,  glad  enough,  to  be  able  to 
think  that." 

"Well,  friend,  her  face  told  me  so.  She  was 
afraid  to  go  back  to  Deep  Water  Creek,  but 
you  would  have  known  also  she  had  no  fear 
of  entering  the  harbour  you  and  I  are  bound 
for  also.  The  peace  of  God  which  the  Master 
promised  to  give  us  was  hers." 

The  old  man  said  no  more.  But  I  saw, 
even  by  the  feeble  glow  of  our  swinging  lamp, 
a  bright  sparkle  on  each  of  his  rugged  cheeks. 
He  took  my  hand  in  both  of  his.  The  silent 
pressure,  the  wordless  good-bye,  will  remain 
with  me  till  my  last  call  also  comes. 

As  the  sound  of  his  retreating  oars  grad- 
ually disappeared  into  the  night,  I  found 
myself  still  standing  in  the  hatchway.  Surely 
for  the  humblest  service  done  in  His  name 
the  Master  gives  here  and  now  the  reward 
which  is  above  all  else  worth  while. 


XI 

"  Brin  '* 

WE  were  a  hundred  miles  from  hos- 
pital on  the  west  coast  of  the  long 
promontory  of  north  Newfound- 
land that  lies  between  the  two  branches  of 
the  polar  current.  One  branch  sweeps  the 
east  coast,  while  the  other,  entering  the 
Straits  of  Belle  Isle,  chills  the  waters  of  the 
gulf  of  St.  Lawrence  and  materially  affects 
the  climate  of  eastern  Canada.  Its  latitude, 
which  is  that  of  the  south  coast  of  England, 
entitles  it  to  no  small  amount  of  sunshine, 
yet  its  mean  temperature  is  that  of  northern 
Norway  or  southern  Greenland. 

Our  harbours  remain  frozen  till  late  in 
May  and  the  brilliant  reflection  of  the  April 
and  May  sunshine  lends  a  colour  to  our  faces 
like  that  of  tanned  leather  boots.  These 
months  afford  us  a  combination  of  germ- 
killing  light  and  bracing  cold  that  is  equalled 
in  few  parts  of  the  world. 

It  was  a  fortnight  since  we  had  left  hos- 
pital. As  things  had  been  quiet  there,  my 
147 


148  DOWN  NORTH  on  The  LABRADOR  \ 

new  colleague  had  decided  to  accompany  me 
in  order  that  he  might  become  familiar  with 
the  country  which  next  winter  he  would  have 
to  travel  alone.  It  was,  however,  time  to  be 
turning  homeward  and  we  were  out  giving 
our  dogs  an  extra  feed  over  night,  prepara- 
tory to  the  additional  call  we  intended  to 
make  on  their  capacities  on  the  morrow,  for 
we  had  decided  to  leave  at  daybreak. 

It  takes  all  the  attention  of  two  men  to  feed 
a  team  of  husky  dogs,  if  you  wish  to  make 
sure  that  they  shall  share  even  approximately 
equally.  When  possible  we  feed  each  dog 
separately.  Here,  however,  we  had  only  the 
open  snow  for  their  accommodation,  and  it 
was  impossible  to  serve  dinner  without  the 
assistance  of  our  long  whips.  For  not  only  is 
there  a  master  dog  who  takes  all  he  wants 
anyhow,  but  each  single  dog  knows  exactly 
which  of  the  others  he  can  bully.  It  doesn't 
in  the  least  matter  how  good  a  piece  of  meat 
may  fall  to  his  fortune,  if  he  sees  another  ap- 
parently with  a  better  he  will  immediately  fly 
at  him.  The  result  often  is  that  before  they 
have  settled  the  dispute,  both  pieces  have 
vanished,  and  only  fresh  assaults  and  batteries 
will  save  them  from  going  supperless.  The 
fact  that  naturally  the  blocks  of  meat  are 
hard  frozen  and  therefore  take  some  time 


"  BRW  149 

even  for  an  Eskimo  dog  to  dispose  of  safely, 
naturally  prolongs  the  period  of  excitement. 

Indeed  our  minds  were  so  occupied  with 
our  task  that  the  approach  of  a  large  team 
of  dogs  from  the  north  escaped  our  notice. 
Stimulated  by  the  well-recognized  signs  of  a 
meal,  the  new  arrivals,  turning  deaf  ears  to 
the  cries  of  the  man  who  was  driving  them, 
and  who  was  now  clinging  to  the  sledge  with 
both  hands  for  dear  life,  simply  leapt  into  the 
middle  of  the  fracas.  Before  a  word  could  be 
said  the  komatik  was  capsized  and  the  driver 
was  sprawling  beneath  it,  while  the  heaving, 
writhing,  yelping  masses  of  fur  were  enjoy- 
ing the  one  superior  attraction  to  a  meal — a 
good  straight  fight.  They  were  quite  regard- 
less of  the  fact  that  the  champions  of  one  side 
were  still  tied  to  their  sledge,  and  were  rapidly 
snarling  themselves  and  everything  else  up 
in  an  utterly  inextricable  tangle.  It  went 
greatly  against  the  grain  to  have  to  whip  our 
dogs  off,  but  under  the  circumstances  there 
was  no  alternative.  Worse  still,  it  left  the 
victors  in  possession  of  the  supper,  when  our 
sympathies  were  entirely  with  our  own  gal- 
lant team,  which,  if  left  alone,  would  have 
beaten  their  opponents  off  their  heads. 

The  task  was  all  the  more  galling  as  our 
dogs  are  not  gifted  with  a  retiring  disposi- 


ISO  DOWN  NORTH  on  The  LABRADOR 

tion,  and  it  took  much  more  application  of 
the  whip  than  we  cared  to  administer  to  per- 
suade them  to  leave  the  field  and  hand  over 
their  dinner,  even  to  entertain  strangers. 
Moreover,  one  of  my  trustiest  dogs  somehow 
hurt  his  knee  and  was  lame  for  a  week.  The 
ruffianly  Joe,  their  driver,  even  dared  once 
during  the  evening  to  inform  the  crowd 
around  the  log  fire  that  one  of  his  pitiable 
curs  had  bitten  it.  He  did  not,  however,  in- 
sist on  this  point  later.  This  irritating 
sequence  of  events  had  not  materially  helped 
us  to  appreciate  the  explanation  for  his  un- 
timely arrival  which  Joe  blurted  out  as  soon  as 
he  had  sufficiently  recovered  his  equanimity. 

"  They  is  wanting  you  in  Island  Harbour, 
doctor.  They  doesn't  know  what  t'  sickness 
be." 

"  Oh  I  That's  it,  is  it  ?  Then  you  weren't 
running  away  from  the  police.  How  long 
since  you  left?" 

"Only  two  days,  doctor.  I  got  as  far  as 
the  Green  Ridge  tilt  first  night." 

"  Why,  you  came  all  around  by  the  coast, 
didn't  you  ?  " 

"Only  as  far  as  Caplin  Cove  Tickle. 
None  of  us  had  ever  been  straight  across  the 
Cloudy  Hills,  and  us  heard  t'  Beaver  Cove 
trappers  wasn't  in  t'   Big  Mountain  tilt  t' 


''BRW  151 

winter.  So  there  be  no  track,  and  it's  nigh 
impossible  to  find  t'  cut  path  through  t'  big 
drogues  o'  wood  from  there  out  here  unless 
you  know  every  inch  of  it." 

Now  it  couldn't  be  more  than  sixty  or 
seventy  miles  across  country  to  the  place  we 
wanted  to  reach,  and  it  would  be  nearly 
twice  that  distance  to  go  round.  We  could 
count  on  covering  the  former  in  a  day  if  only 
we  could  follow  the  trail.  But  that  was  just 
where  the  rub  came.  If  once  you  lost  it,  it 
would  be  an  endless  task  getting  a  team  of 
dogs  through  our  dense  stunted  spruce  forests, 
with  their  windfalls  of  ages  which  make  them 
like  one  huge  battle  stockade  with  countless 
pitfalls  hidden  under  light  snow  coverings 
between  the  logs,  where  you  crawl  over  one 
only  to  fall  incontinently  into  the  next.  We 
had  had  more  than  one  experience  of  that 
kind  before,  and  had  to  abandon  our  sledges 
and  exhausted  dogs  while  we  struggled  ahead 
on  foot,  footsore  and  frozen. 

It  was  a  great  dilemma.  For  not  only  did 
every  sporting  instinct  within  one  cry  out, 
"Have  a  fling  at  the  cross  country  route,"  but 
success  in  the  venture  also  meant  reach- 
ing our  desired  haven  a  day  sooner. 

Naturally  it  was  the  topic  of  the  evening 
as  soon  as  our  pipes  were  lit,  and  just  as 


152  DOWN  NORTH  on  The  LABRADOR 

naturally  half  our  friends  were  on  one  side 
and  half  on  the  other. 

"What  would  you  say,  Malcolm?"  I  asked 
of  our  best  but  aged  woodman. 

"  I'm  thinking  I'll  no  advise  you,  doctor. 
I've  been  round,  and  I've  been  straight  in 
my  time,  but  I'm  no  saying  I  could  find  the 
way  myself  now.  There' ve  been  no  cutting 
done  on  t'  line  this  ten  years,  and  the  young 
trees  have  grown  that  high  that  I'm  doubting 
you'll  not  keep  t'  track." 

Uncle  Silas  'lowed  he'd  come  in  with  us 
as  far  as  t'  Underground  Hole  Tilt  himself, 
and  "  you'se  can  see  t'  hanging  marsh  from 
there."  But  he  didn't  know  from  the  Old  Deer 
Tilt  on,  as  "  there's  never  been  no  business  to 
take  him  out  there  from  the  coast." 

The  odds  were  almost  even  on  the  route, 
and  we  had  about  decided  to  settle  it  in  the 
way  Captain  Mose  always  adopted  when  he 
didn't  know  which  direction  to  head  his  craft  for 
seals.  "  I  just  t'rows  up  my  old  cap,"  he  said, 
"  and  if  she  comes  down  face  up  I  mostly  heads 
t'  the  eastward,  and  if  not  I  goes  down  along." 

We  had  indeed  just  come  to  the  point  of 
getting  the  captain  to  go  and  search  for  his 
*'  wisdom  cap  "  when  the  crackling  sound  of 
footsteps  on  the  crisp  snow  outside  warned 
us  of  the  approach  of  a  newcomer. 


"  BRIN''  153 

The  door  was  opened  with  the  assurance 
of  an  old  acquaintance,  and  a  chorus  of  wel- 
come greeted  the  muffled  figure  that  stopped 
to  beat  the  snow  oflf  itself  in  the  porch. 

"  Harry,  you'se  just  struck  it  right  this 
time.  Here's  t'  doctor  wants  to  cross  the 
country  to-morrow.  Where  have  you  dropped 
from  ?  They  said  you  was  in  after  deer  and 
would  not  be  out  for  ten  days." 

We  found  Harry  had  come  in  a  hurry 
to  get  help  from  the  village  to  bring  out  two 
stags  he  had  killed,  and  as  he  had  not  "  scaf- 
folded "  them  out  of  the  reach  of  animals,  he 
simply  must  go  right  back  in  the  morning. 

He  was  a  quiet  man,  and  the  vocabulary 
of  which  he  could  avail  himself  in  the  com- 
pany present  was  limited  and  soon  exhausted. 
It  was  only  after  he  had  sucked  in  several 
deep  draughts  from  his  pipe,  and  was  sitting 
in  the  comer  almost  hidden  by  the  clouds  of 
smoke  he  was  blowing  out,  that  he  broke 
into  the  conversation  again. 

"  I'll  tell  you  what  I'll  do,  doctor,"  he  sud- 
denly volunteered.  "  I  won't  see  you  left.  If 
it  is  a  bit  of  around  I'll  come  with  you  as  far 
as  the  big  white  marsh,  and  then  if  you'se 
don't  get  t'rough  before  dark  you'll  surely 
find  one  of  the  Gray  Cove  men's  tilts."  And 
I  saw  his  keen  black  eyes  fixed  on  mine  as  if 


154  DOWN  NORTH  on  The  LABRADOR 

the  sudden  inspiration  had  relieved  him  of  an 
intolerable  burden. 

"  A  bit  of  a  round  1  It'll  be  twenty-five 
miles  out  of  you'se  line  if  it's  a  yard,"  broke 
in  the  man  who  would  have  to  go  in  with 
him  after  the  deer  carcasses,  and  who  had 
listened  to  the  whole  discussion  from  the 
background.  **  But  I'm  not  saying  as  us 
can't  do  it  and  get  home  t'  same  night  all 
the  same.  What  do  ye  say,  doctor  ?  How'U 
that  suit  ye  ?  " 

"  A  good  deal  better  than  relying  on  Uncle 
Mose's  cap,  Jake.  Indeed,  that  settles  it,  and 
try  we  will  whatever  comes  of  it." 

It  was  unfortunate  that  my  colleague  and 
I  had  decided  to  leave  our  usual  driver  at 
home  on  this  trip,  for  he  had  crossed  this 
very  route  the  year  previous  with  the  doctor 
who  had  been  supplying  for  me.  They  had 
had  the  unusual  opportunity  of  the  company 
of  the  one  man  living,  who  years  before  had 
been  engaged  with  a  government  survey 
party  in  driving  a  track  across  from  water  to 
water.  When  we  left,  we  had  intended  to 
return  by  the  well-worn  coast  trail,  in  which 
case  a  driver's  room  would  have  been  better 
than  his  weight  on  the  sledges.  We  had  left 
him,  moreover,  our  good  team  of  dogs,  as 
there  were  a  number  of  logs  to  be  hauled 


^^H^^^^2 

WL  ^^3r*Siitiiil- J 

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SHHuMSIE!!^  i^-'jflL  j9 

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jm 

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Jm 

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f^^M 

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.   "^^'-..w/.^ 

►                 ■•■  ^,,if,ai^l^^                ..i^'9« 

HE  WENT  BY  THE  NAME  OF  BRIN ' 


''BRIN''  155 

home  from  the  woods,  more,  indeed,  than  we 
could  expect  to  handle  before  the  going  broke 
up. 

The  result  was  that  of  all  our  last  year's  team 
we  had  only  one  dog  with  us,  a  yellowish 
brown  fellow  with  queer  black  striped  mark- 
ing somewhat  like  a  Bengal  tiger.  They  lent 
to  his  sinister  face  the  suggestion  that  he 
was  eternally  grinning — an  impression  inten- 
sified by  an  odd  way  he  had  of  turning  up 
the  corners  of  his  mouth  when  he  caught 
one's  eye.  He  went  by  the  name  of  "  Brin." 
I  had  reared  this  dog  myself  and  run  him  his 
second  winter  as  my  leader,  though  he  was 
then  little  better  than  a  pup.  On  several  oc- 
casions he  had  displayed  unusual  instinct  for 
direction.  Very  soon  after  his  first  promo- 
tion I  had  been  compelled  to  run  eighteen 
miles,  mostly  over  sea  ice,  without  seeing 
any  intervening  house,  in  a  blizzard  of  snow 
and  a  head  wind.  It  was  quite  impossible  to 
do  any  steering,  as  the  driving  snow,  with  no 
windbreak,  made  seeing  to  windward  simply 
out  of  the  question.  But  the  pup  had  proved 
his  mettle  by  coming  out  without  a  hitch  at 
the  door  of  the  house  we  wished  to  find,  as  it 
marked  the  spot  where  the  shore  trail  left  the 
crossneck  of  land.  Thus,  of  all  the  caval- 
cade, he  alone  had  ever  seen  the  trail  we 


156  DOWN  NORTH  on  The  LABRADOR 

were  now  proposing  to  take,  and  that  only 
once.  It  had,  however,  been  very  bad  weather 
all  the  way,  and  they  had  taken  three  days 
from  land-wash  to  land-wash.  No  one  could 
say,  of  course,  how  much  Brin's  memory  could 
be  counted  on,  but  personally  I  was  prepared 
to  bank  a  good  deal  on  it. 

An  hour  or  so  more  was  spent  in  discuss- 
ing the  way,  and  indeed  I  traced  out  a  rough 
map  of  the  trail  according  to  Harry's  ideas 
of  it.  Beginning  from  our  present  position 
I  drew  in  ponds,  barrens,  marshes,  drogues, 
^*IV,..,  as  he  called  them  out,  and  arranged  them  in 
order  as  he  said  the  road  led  next  to  the  right 
or  left.  It  was  a  weird-looking  picture  when 
we  finished  it,  the  lines  resembling  rather  the 
intricacies  of  an  infant's  scribbling  than  a 
sailor's  course  from  port  to  port.  When, 
however,  it  had  been  doctored  by  every  suc- 
cessive member  of  the  conclave,  and  the  final 
decisions  all  averaged  and  inked  in  black — 
for  want  of  an  eraser — to  hide  the  earlier 
efforts,  the  chart  had  at  least  the  merit  of 
being  picturesque  and  not  lacking  in  de- 
tail. 

As  soon  as  it  had  received  the  final  fiat, 
"  it's  as  good  as  us  can  do,"  the  company  be- 
gan to  break  up,  and  we  lost  no  time  in  turn- 
ing in,  as  we  would  have  to  be  on  foot  before 


"BR/N"  157 

daylight  if  we  hoped  to  "  reach  over  "  before 
dark. 

But  there  was  still  one  more  thing-  to  be 
settled.  Mark  Perrault,  well  known  for  his  ex- 
cellent dogs,  didn't  want  to  be  left  out  in  the 
deal.  Accordingly  he  came  round  to  where 
I  sat  and  whispered,  "I  was  going  to  get  rid 
of  old  Snowball  some  time,  doctor,  though 
he's  one  of  the  best  still  on  hard  travel,  I 
thought  maybe  as  you'se  got  one  of  you'se 
dogs  badly  mauled  you  might  care  to  take 
him  along  with  you.  It's  nothing  but  what 
us  ought  to  do,"  he  protested,  as  I  insisted 
that  he  would  need  Snowball  himself  for  get- 
ting out  his  fire-wood.  "  But  you'll  have  to 
keep  an  eye  that  he  doesn't  give  you  the  slip, 
doctor.  He'd  come  back  home  a  hundred 
miles  if  you  gave  him  a  chance,  anyhow. 
Yes,  if  you  packed  him  and  sent  him  by  sea 
in  a  nailed-up  box." 

It  was  no  use  saying  any  more,  and  the 
grip  of  the  good  fellow's  hand  as  I  thanked 
him  and  said  "good-night "  was  such  a  night- 
cap as  a  king  might  seek  in  vain. 

The  sky  was  overcast  and  it  was  cold  and 
still  dark  as  we  collected  our  dogs  next  morn- 
ing for  the  long  run  across  country.  But 
they  were  well  trained  to  respond  to  our  call, 
and  though  hidden  away  in  every  conceiva- 


158  DOWN  NORTH  on  The  LABRADOR 

ble  corner,  or  under  houses,  or  often  buried 
in  the  snow,  they  were  soon  rubbing  their 
noses  against  our  hands. 

Mark  Perrault  was  up  before  us,  and  while 
we  "  boiled  the  kettle "  he  kept  watch  over 
the  unlucky  Snowball,  against  whose  intro- 
duction into  their  company  our  own  darlings 
were  breathing  out  threatenings  and  slaughter. 
For  his  better  protection  Snowball  was  har- 
nessed nearest  the  sleigh,  that  we  might  the 
more  readily  watch  over  his  safety. 

Harry  and  his  comrade  with  a  large  team 
of  their  own  that  knew  that  section  of  the 
country  like  a  book,  made  the  running  all 
morning,  and  as  we  were  climbing  most  of 
the  time  it  was  just  as  well  for  our  teams  that 
we  had  only  one  man  on  each  sledge.  Of 
course  we  had  had  to  bring  our  medical 
stores  and  reserve  food  supplies  with  us.  Be- 
fore leaving  every  man  who  knew  anything  of 
the  route  had  given  us  a  last  word  as  to  the 
best  way  to  take  "  Aunt  Sally's  Grove,"  and 
what  point  to  steer  for  when  we  came  out  on 
"  Five  Mile  Pond,"  etc.,  etc.  All  of  this  would 
have  been  very  useful  information  if  only  any 
one  of  the  thousand  lakes  and  groves  of  trees 
had  been  labelled  in  any  way. 

Nothing  of  any  particular  interest  trans- 
pired till  we  broke  out  from  the  woods  about 


"BRIN"  159 

ten  in  the  morning  by  the  big  white  marsh. 
Indeed  nothing  well  could,  for  the  path  was 
broken  for  us  by  our  pilots.  However,  here 
they  had  to  leave  us,  and  we  halted  under 
some  large  spruce  trees  to  boil  a  "  mug  of 
tea,"  while  we  received  our  final  instructions. 
"  It  was  all  easy  enough  if  you  know'd  it," 
was  the  tenor  of  Harry's  last  words,  with 
which  sentiment  I  found  it  easiest  to 
agree. 

The  main  thing  that  interested  me,  how- 
ever, while  he  was  talking,  was  the  fact  that 
there  wasn't  a  trace  of  any  kind  of  mark  on 
the  virgin  face  of  the  Hanging  Marsh.  If  I 
had  to  find  my  own  way  to  where  to  leave  it 
through  the  surrounding  trees,  I  should  cer- 
tainly have  had  to  go  all  round  the  edge,  and 
then  perhaps  miss  it  after  all.  For  I  had  no- 
ticed that  even  the  blazes  on  the  trees  near 
the  houses  which  were  far  more  numerous  and 
fresher  than  any  we  could  hope  to  find  for  many 
miles  to  come,  were  so  obscured  by  glitter, 
that  is  ice  frozen  on  the  tree  stems,  that  had 
we  been  without  our  pilots  we  should  have 
lost  our  way  a  dozen  times  already.  As  we 
sat  discussing  over  a  cup  of  hot  tea  and  a 
pork  bun,  that  most  delectable  invention  as 
it  won't  freeze  however  cold  the  day  may  be, 
we  dragged  out  the  map  which  we  had  made 


l6o  DOWN  NORTH  on  The  LABRADOR 

the  night  before,  and  found  a  new  merit  to 
it — ^a  powerful  sense  of  humour. 

Having  pointed  out  that  the  direction  in 
which  we  must  steer  across  the  marsh  was 
towards  a  tall  spruce  that  towered  up  in  soli- 
tary state  above  the  rest  of  the  trees,  our 
good-natured  guides  returned  on  their  tracks. 
It  was  already  obvious  to  both  of  us  doctors 
that  we  had  not  the  slightest  chance  of  find- 
ing the  trail.  Our  only  assets  were  our 
pocket  compasses  giving  us  the  general  direc- 
tion, our  axes  to  clear  a  path  when  we  should 
get  stogged,  and  a  hopeful  disposition  which 
never  spoiled  for  troubles  till  they  came  along 
— and  Brin. 

Whether  he  knew  his  importance  or  not  at 
the  moment  I  never  could  tell.  But  a  light 
seemed  to  dance  in  his  eyes  like  the  demons 
on  Feathertop's  magic  pipe  when  he  pulled 
at  it — and  his  queer  face  assumed  a  veritable 
Mephistophelian  aspect  as  he  strutted  about 
at  the  end  of  his  long  leading  trace.  I  re- 
member he  kept  looking  back  and  grinning 
at  us  as  he  waited  for  the  word  "  go." 

"Don't  say  a  word,"  shouted  my  chum 
from  the  sledge  behind.  "  Let's  see  if  he'd 
head  right  across  the  marsh  anyhow." 

"  All  right,"  I  called  back,"  mum'sthe  word 
: — go ! "     And  we  simultaneously  cut  the  lines 


"BRIN"  i6i 

Holding  the  sledges  back  to  keep  the  excited 
dogs  from  running  away  before  we  were  ready. 

Prosaic  as  it  may  seem  to  others  it  was  a 
moment  of  real  excitement  to  us  when  Brin 
led  off  at  a  stretch  gallop  in  an  absolute  line 
for  the  tall  lone  spruce.  As  we  whisked  by 
it  I  can  almost  swear  he  looked  back  at  me 
and  winked,  and  although  twelve  fathoms 
away  I  fancied  I  caught  an  unearthly  chuckle 
from  him. 

The  snow  surface  on  these  highlands  was 
splendid  and  the  dogs  were  in  a  mood  to  go. 
So  we  just  "  sat  tight "  and  let  them.  For 
the  trail  led  now  through  wooded  country 
and  we  were  Indians  enough  from  years' 
experience  to  notice  that  we  were  keep- 
ing to  the  old  cut  path,  in  spite  of  having  to 
circumvent  many  snags  in  it.  Shortly,  how- 
ever, we  struck  more  open  country,  and  as 
the  trees  were  now  scattered  like  those  in  an 
orchard  the  path  might  have  been  anywhere. 
We  could  only  watch  the  dog,  who  though 
he  had  slackened  somewhat  was  still  trotting 
along  merrily,  and  as  unconcerned  as  if  he 
hadn't  yet  discovered  there  was  any  problem 
existent.  Somewhere  about  ten  miles  from 
the  marsh  in  just  such  a  setting  we  had 
marked  on  our  map  was  a  forked  juniper  tree 
standing  by  itself  in  the  middle  of  a  long 


i62  DOWN  NORTH  on  The  LABRADOR 

lead.  The  top  boughs  had  been  stripped 
from  it  and  the  skull  and  antlers  of  old 
caribou  fixed  in  the  cleft. 

The  utter  inaccuracy  of  the  map  had  led 
me  to  forget  this  landmark,  and  I  was  more 
than  surprised  to  hear  my  chum  suddenly 
shout  out,  "  There  she  is  !  " 

"  There's  what  ?  " 

"  Why,  the  skull  in  the  tree,"  he  responded. 

As  we  use  no  reins  in  order  to  guide  the 
dogs,  we  rely  entirely  on  our  voices  to  swing 
them  to  the  right  or  left.  A  good  leader 
obeys  instinctively  even  at  top  speed  without 
apparently  otherwise  taking  notice.  But  on 
this  occasion  we  both  thought  Brin  looked 
around  and  laughed.  But  even  if  he  didn't, 
we  did,  for  our  spirits  went  up  with  a  bound 
as  we  realized  we  were  still  all  right  and  an- 
other ten  miles  lay  behind  us. 

A  little  later  we  passed  the  top  ridge  of 
the  Cloudy  Hills,  where  the  going  was  good, 
because  there  were  no  longer  even  scrub 
trees  to  worry  us.  Moreover,  there  could  be 
no  doubt  of  the  right  direction  as  there  was 
only  one  g^p  through  which  we  could  well 

go- 

From  the  outlet  of  the  gorge  we  should 

have  the  sea  some  twenty  miles  below  us. 

But  the  shadows  of  evening  were   already 


"BRIN"  163 

drawn  too  close  and  the  sky  was  still  over- 
cast. There  seemed  to  lie  between  us  and 
our  goal  nothing  but  endless  miles  of  rolling 
forest.  It  appeared  to  be  mere  folly  to  ex- 
pect to  get  through  before  morning.  Yet  if 
we  were  going  to  camp  at  all,  now  was  the 
time  to  outspan  and  get  a  shelter  built  while 
we  could  see. 

How  much  longer  could  we  trust  Brin  ? 
He  had  swung  off  almost  at  right  angles  after 
emerging  from  the  pass,  and  was  now  guid- 
ing his  followers  along  the  upper  edge  of  the 
woods.  It  seemed  at  last  as  if  he  were  seek- 
ing something  and  was  uncertain  where  to 
enter.  But  he  showed  no  doubt  about  what 
to  do  a  minute  later,  for  without  even  slack- 
ening speed  he  dashed  into  the  forest,  and  I 
looked  back  and  caught  the  eye  of  my  col- 
league as  I  saw  he  also  had  spotted  a  half- 
obliterated  blaze  on  the  trunk  of  a  birch  to 
the  side  of  us.  Down,  down,  down,  we  went, 
the  cut  path  every  now  and  again  obscured 
by  growing  saplings  or  blocked  by  wind- 
falls which  had  to  be  carefully  negotiated. 
But  they  counted  for  nothing  beside  the  fact 
that  every  minute  was  shortening  the  dis- 
tance and  we  were  obviously  still  on  the  track. 

Time  passes  quickly  when  one  is  steering 
a  loaded  komatik  down  through  woods.     You 


\^\  DOWN  NORTH  on  The  LABRADOR 

want  all  your  skill  and  strength  to  avoid 
stumps  and  snags.  Every  now  and  again, 
even  with  the  best  of  teams,  some  dog  will 
turn  the  wrong  side  of  an  obstruction,  and 
the  whole  team  are  suddenly  brought  up  "all 
standing."  As  a  rule  it  is  not  a  very  long 
matter  to  haul  back  the  prodigal,  and  sling 
him  round  after  the  others,  though  when  he 
finds  he  is  being  dragged  back  he  hauls  for 
all  he  is  worth,  thinking  he  is  going  to  get 
whipped.  But  the  presence  of  Snowball,  a 
stranger  in  the  team,  added  a  very  definite 
new  element  of  trouble.  For  a  sudden  check 
would  bring  the  dogs  together,  and  they 
seemed  invariably  to  associate  him  with  the 
halt  which  they  so  greatly  resented.  The  un- 
fortunate Snowball  was  of  course  forced  to 
defend  himself,  and  the  process  of  separating 
the  contestants  often  enough  drove  several 
more  dogs  around  tree  trunks,  so  that  the 
fracas  had  to  end  by  clearing  them  all  out 
and  making  an  entirely  new  start. 

At  the  foot  of  the  first  range  the  valley 
contained  a  long  lake  onto  which  we  ran  out 
squarely  at  right  angles.  Facing  us  was  a 
steep  bluff,  and  below  the  lake  seemed  to  end 
in  a  narrow  defile  through  which  we  guessed 
the  river  escaped,  and  towards  which  we  of 
course  expected  to  tura     But  no  such  notion 


"BRIN''  165 

apparently  entered  Brin's  head.  He  made 
exactly  for  the  opposite  direction  and  then 
crossing  a  narrow  portion  of  the  lake,  started 
to  climb  the  hill  in  front  of  us.  The  excel- 
lent engineering  of  this  move  only  became 
apparent  when  after  a  few  moments  we  were 
once  more  through  a  pass  and  discovered 
that  we  were  at  the  head  of  a  second  valley 
that  led  in  precisely  the  opposite  direction. 
There  were  no  marks  of  any  kind  whatever 
that  were  visible,  and  it  was  now  a  long 
while  since  we  had  seen  any  indications  that 
we  were  following  a  trail.  We  had  hoped 
before  this  at  least  to  see  racquet  marks  of 
hunters  from  the  opposite  coast,  but  nothing 
of  that  kind  either  was  discernible.  How- 
ever, Brin  continued  to  trot  on  without  a 
pause  down  the  sloping  hillside  and  there 
was  nothing  for  us  to  do  but  "sit  tight "  and 
look  on. 

As  we  swung  round  a  big  drift  of  snow, 
presumably  over  an  unusually  large  boulder, 
a  very  fresh  fox  track  ran  directly  down  the 
hill.  Without  once  looking  back  Brin  jumped 
right  into  it,  his  unquestioning  comrades  fol- 
lowing him  only  too  gladly.  The  pace  at 
once  increased,  and  it  seemed  as  if  we  were 
being  made  mere  fools  of,  while  the  dogs  had 
a  good  time  hunting.     It  was  mighty  hard 


i66  DOWN  NORTH  on  The  LABRADOR 

not  to  "  butt  in "  and  tell  a  "  mere  dog " 
which  way  to  go.  But  then  we  didn't  know 
which  way  we  did  want  to  go.  I  looked 
round,  however,  to  see  whether  my  comrade 
had  noticed  the  turn  of  events.  "  It's  a  case 
of  walking  by  faith,  I  reckon.  Do  you  suj> 
pose  Brin  knows  what  he's  after?"  The 
sound  of  his  name  evidently  apprized  the  dog 
that  we  were  discussing  him,  for  even  at  the 
pace  at  which  we  were  now  going,  he  found 
time  to  fling  his  impish  head  around  and 
fairly  grin  in  our  faces. 

I  never  would  have  believed  that  an 
ordinary  fox  trail  could  worry  any  man  so 
much.  But  when  we  were  still  following  that 
unsociable  beast's  footsteps  after  a  full  mile 
had  elapsed,  it  became  almost  impossible  not 
to  interfere.  For  the  likelihood  that  a  fox 
was  really  heading  for  the  village  we  were 
seeking  seemed  absurd.  All  of  a  sudden  this 
deduction  was  apparently  proven  correct  be- 
yond the  possibility  of  doubt,  for  we  crossed 
the  tracks  of  a  man's  snow  racquets  at  right 
angles  to  our  path.  It  was  too  much  for 
any  one,  and  so  we  halted  the  dogs,  and 
donning  our  own  racquets,  followed  the  marks 
each  way  to  see  if  they  gave  any  clue  as  to 
how  to  proceed.  Luckily  for  us  we  soon 
found  signs  that  the  man  was  hunting,  for 


"BRIN''  167 

his  trail  doubled  on  itself  twice,  and  we  knew 
he  at  least  was  not  going  in  or  out  of  the 
country. 

"What's  the  best  thing  to  do,  John? 
There's  still  time  to  make  a  camp  before 
dark.  That  fiend  of  a  dog  seems  cock-sure 
of  his  way.  But  I  don't  know  if  the  devil 
isn't  in  the  beast.  Look  at  his  face.  He 
looks  possessed,  if  ever  a  dog  did." 

Brin  was  sitting  bolt  upright  on  his 
haunches  and  was  staring  directly  at  us — for 
all  the  world  as  if  he  understood  exactly  what 
we  were  saying.  As  he  caught  my  eye  he 
put  his  head  on  one  side  and  actually  poked 
out  his  tongue.  It  was  surely  quite  un- 
necessary to  begin  to  pant  just  at  that  mo- 
ment. But  he  maintained  so  inscrutable  a 
mien,  without  even  a  blink,  that  though  I  half 
unconsciously  picked  up  my  whip  as  if  to 
teach  him  to  "  quit  fooling "  I  couldn't  find 
heart  to  give  him  a  flick.  It  was  getting  late 
and  I  felt  we  really  ought  to  do  something  at 
once. 

"  What  do  you  say  to  blindfolding  him  ? 
Perhaps  he'll  leave  this  miserable  fox  track," 
I  suggested. 

"  I'm  for  giving  him  another  chance,"  was 
the  trustful  reply,  which  almost  made  me 
think  my  chum  also  was  laughing  at  me. 


i68  DOWN  NORTH  on  The  LABRADOR 

"It  seems  rather  Sunday-school  bookish, 
but  if  you're  in  earnest,  '  Barkis  is  willing,'  " 
and  I  threw  myself  onto  the  sledge  with  a 
"  hist"  to  the  dogs  to  go  just  where  they  jolly 
well  liked.  Bothered  if  they  didn't  again 
start  off  at  a  trot  along  that  unspeakable 
fox  track.  It  was  with  unfeigned  gratitude 
that  at  last  as  we  came  out  onto  the  bed  of 
the  river,  the  fox  tracks  disappeared  into  the 
willows  opposite — for  the  animal  himself  was 
certainly  not  very  far  distant.  It  was  a  big 
credential  on  the  right  side  to  see  the  team 
leave  it. 

It  was  for  a  time  a  real  relief  that  we  pro- 
ceeded to  follow  the  river.  The  low  banks 
had  allowed  the  wind  to  blow  the  snow  away 
and  the  resulting  good  ice  surface,  together 
with  the  drop  of  the  river,  made  it  easy  to 
cover  the  miles  at  our  leisure.  Moreover,  we 
knew  the  river  must  lead  to  the  sea  some 
time.  Our  hopes  rose  so  high  that  we  posi- 
tively took  the  time  to  warm  up  the  kettle, 
and  get  a  second  "  mug  of  tea  "  for  the  day. 
When,  however,  we  opened  the  tin  of  pork 
and  beans  which  we  had  boiled  with  the 
water,  we  realized  we  were  not  as  confidant 
as  we  thought.  For  though  the  under  layer 
was  melted,  the  centre  was  still  a  variety  of 
ice-cream  that  was  new  to  us.     Moreover, 


"  BRIN"  169 

^hen  we  started,  the  valley  narrowed,  and 
the  river  bed  was  blocked  with  snow  with 
every  here  and  there  great  chasms  that  re- 
vealed the  rushing  water  beneath.  Worse 
still,  the  river  ended  abruptly  in  a  huge  lake 
with  at  least  one  large  island  in  it.  Nor  was 
there  the  faintest  indication  now  as  to  whether 
we  should  turn  to  the  north,  south,  east  or 
west. 

It  seemed  possible,  however,  to  eliminate 
the  east,  because  we  could  see  across  the 
lake  a  high  range  of  hills  rising.  Yet  with- 
out hesitation  Brin  headed  straight  for  them. 
Our  only  comfort  was  that  there  were  trees 
on  the  sides  of  them  among  which  we  could 
at  least  camp,  though  it  was  already  darker 
than  we  cared  about. 

On — on — on — till  at  last  we  came  to  the 
woods  flanking  the  lake.  The  dogs  instantly 
went  straight  into  the  forest,  and  in  half  a 
minute  were  on  opposite  sides  of  a  dozen 
trees,  as  if  a  comb  had  been  pushed  into  hair. 

"  That's  the  end  of  it,  John.  The  sooner 
we  get  to  work  and  make  a  shelter  for  the 
night  the  better."  And  having  unlashed  my 
axe,  I  whipped  out  my  snow-shoes  and 
started  to  find  a  dry  tree  to  light  the  fire 
with. 

John  stood  ruefully  looking  at  the  dogs. 


Y-jo  DOWN  NORTH  on  The  LABRADOR 

Apparently,  he  had  banked  more  on  Brin 
than  I  had,  and  he  said  afterwards  he  felt  as 
if  the  bottom  had  fallen  out  of  his  faith  in 
everything.  The  dogs,  glad  of  a  rest,  lay 
down  where  they  were  and  started  chewing 
the  icicles  out  of  their  fur.  Brin,  at  the  end 
of  his  longer  trace  which  was  stretched  to  its 
full  length,  was  nearly  hidden  by  bushes,  but 
I  could  see  he  was  standing  up  and  looking 
back  as  he  did  when  the  team  slacked  and  he 
was  accustomed  to  come  back  and  snap  at 
them.  His  odd  manner  influenced  me 
enough  to  start  ofl  in  his  direction  after  I 
had  turned  over  the  komatik.  To  my 
amazement  I  found  he  was  standing  in  a 
well  cut  path  which  ran  at  an  acute  angle  up 
the  side  of  the  hill.  He  had  tried  a  short 
cut  into  it  about  ten  yards  before  it  opened 
onto  the  lake. 

There  was  no  trouble  after  this.  Once 
over  the  hill  we  struck  the  wood  path  of 
the  Gray  Cove  men  and  by  8  P.  M.  had 
brought  up  outside  my  patient's  house.  We 
were  able  to  tell  him  "what  t'  sickness 
was  "  and  also  to  be  of  some  little  service  in 
saving  him  pain  and  trouble. 

Before  turning  in  I  went  out  to  see  what 
the  night  was  and  to  make  sure  that  Snow- 
ball was  safely  fastened  up.     For  I  knew  he 


'' BRW  171 

would  start  directly  back  the  moment  he  got 
the  chance.  Everything  was  all  right,  how- 
ever, and  the  tired  dogs  were  stowed  away 
somewhere  asleep.  My  hand  was  on  the 
latch  of  the  cottage  door  as  I  was  about  to 
reenter  so  as  to  turn  in  myself,  when  some- 
thing warm  and  furry  rubbed  gently  against 
my  leg.  By  the  light  that  streamed  out  of 
the  open  door  I  found  myself  looking  right 
down  into  Brin's  eyes.  They  were  asking  in 
as  plain  English  as  could  be  written,  "  How 
did  I  please  you  to-day,  master?"  I  couldn't 
help  putting  my  arms  around  his  neck  and 
hugging  him.  Then  we  both  went  off  to 
our  beds  the  happier  for  it. 

Three  days  later  we  reached  home,  and 
three  days  more  we  kept  Snowball  penned 
in  and  fed  even  more  generously  than  the 
other  dogs.  The  seventh  day  after  he  had 
left  his  home  we  ventured  to  let  him  out. 

Mark  Perrault  still  sticks  to  it  that  Snow- 
ball reached  home  on  the  seventh  evening 
after  we  left 


XII 

Rube  Marvin's  Confession 

IT  was  the  very  j oiliest  part  of  the  whole 
year.  Snow  enough  had  fallen  at  Christ- 
mas time  to  fill  up  every  inequality  in 
the  countryside,  chock  to  the  brim.  All  the 
scrub  woods  and  bushes  had  disappeared, 
and  every  troublesome  snag  had  long  ago 
sunk  out  of  sight  under  the  generous  white 
mantle  of  winter.  A  sudden  thaw  for  a  single 
night  late  in  January  had  put  a  perfect  sur- 
face on  the  snow  which  was  already  well 
packed  down  by  nor* westerly  gales. 

We  had  been  enjoying  a  long  three  days' 
drive  with  our  dogs  through  the  finest  part 
of  the  country,  over  the  high  white  hills, 
crossing  the  frozen  bays  on  the  ice  from  one 
wooded  island  to  another,  threading  our  way 
along  the  paths  cut  through  the  spruce  forests, 
and  sweeping  down  the  courses  of  rivers  at 
a  pace  that  made  it  no  easy  matter  to  avoid 
the  unfrozen  rattles  and  rapids,  as  the  dogs 
tore  along  the  trail  like  a  pack  of  hounds  in 
172 


RUBE  MARVIN'S  CONFESSION  173 

full  view  of  their  quarry,  with  nothing  in  the 
way  to  stop  them. 

Night  had  overtaken  us  at  the  head  of  a 
beautiful  bay  where  our  lumber  mill  is  sit- 
uated, and  the  hard  physical  exercise  of  the 
journey  had  prepared  us  to  enjoy  to  the  full 
the  generous  hospitality  of  the  manager's 
house,  which  was  freely  extended  both  to  our- 
selves and  our  trusty  dogs. 

The  perfectly  glorious  sunshine  which  had 
continued  steadily  day  after  day  did  not  yet 
fail  us,  and  the  simple  fare  at  our  humble 
hospice  seemed  sweeter  with  our  rude  vitality 
than  any  feast  on  earth. 

"  Have  they  got  the  framing  of  the  new 
schooner  finished  yet,  Walter  ? "  I  inquired 
as  we  sat  at  breakfast. 

"  It's  time  they  had,"  he  answered,  "  see- 
ing they  had  all  the  knees  and  timbers  ready 
before  Christmas,  and  the  keel  and  dead- 
wood  laid  by  New  Year.  I  reckon  there 
must  be  something  wrong  with  Rube  Marvin. 
He  don't  seem  to  mind  if  he  does  or  doesn't 
this  three  weeks  gone — and  the  boys  can't 
get  ahead  without  he's  there  to  show  them 
what  to  do." 

"  What  can  be  wrong  with  Rube  ?  I  should 
think  he  had  less  right  to  worry  than  any 
man  in  the  bay.     He  ought  to  make  quite  a 


174  DOWN  NORTH  on  The  LABRADOR 

nice  sum  out  of  building  the  vessel.  He  isn't 
ill,  is  he?" 

"  He  says  he  isn't  anyhow,  though  his  wife 
says  he  eats  next  to  nothing,  and  scarcely 
sleeps  any  at  nights.  Jake  Rumford  says  he 
thinks  it's  a  touch  o*  the  moon.  They  had 
worked  a  bit  by  moonlight  to  get  all  the 
knees  out  before  the  snow  fell." 

"  What  do  you  think  of  it  yourself,  Walter  ? 
It  will  be  a  bad  business  if  we  can't  launch  her 
before  the  men  have  to  leave  for  the  fishery." 

"  I  can't  say,  doctor.  He  just  seems  like 
a  man  a  mile  away  all  the  time,  as  if  he  was 
too  far  off  to  take  notice  of  any  one." 

"  Let's  go  and  look  at  her  anyhow,  and 
perhaps  I  can  help  Rube  some  way." 

So  we  donned  our  snow-shoes  and  crossed 
over  to  the  sheltered  cove  on  the  shore  of 
which  the  great  white  frame  of  the  new 
schooner  was  silhouetted  against  the  dark 
green  background  of  the  forest. 

"  Morning,  Jake,"  I  shouted  to  a  man 
standing  away  up  on  one  of  the  deck  beams, 
who  had  halted,  axe  in  hand,  to  make  out 
who  was  approaching.  "Good-morning. 
Where's  Rube  this  morning  ?  " 

"  Morning,"  he  answered.  "  Morning. 
Where's  Rube?  Why,  he  was  up  here  a  sec- 
ond   ago.     Perhaps    he's   in   the   workshed 


4 


RUBE  MARVIN'S  CONFESSION  175 

there — though  us  generally  works  out  here 
fine  days." 

Following  his  directions,  I  turned  into  the 
shed,  and  sure  enough,  there  was  Rube 
standing  sheepishly  by  the  bench,  only  too 
obviously  having  gone  in  to  avoid  us. 

"  Good-morning,  Rube.  You're  making  a 
fine  job  of  it." 

"I'm  glad  you  think  so,  doctor,"  he  re- 
plied.    "  I  suppose  I'm  doing  my  best." 

There  was  such  an  utter  absence  of  the 
usual  twinkle  about  his  eyes  and  the  happy 
ring  in  his  voice,  and  such  a  general  tone  of 
melancholy  about  him,  that  I  couldn't  sup- 
press the  retort — '*  I  can't  think  you  are  doing 
anything  of  the  kind  to  look  at  you.  Rube. 
What's  the  matter  ?  Not  going  to  be  hung, 
are  you?" 

Rube  jumped  as  if  he  really  feared  such  a 
thing,  but  as  I  could  get  nothing  further  out 
of  him  I  went  out  and  chatted  with  the  rest 
of  the  men  about  the  boat.  I  was  at  a  loss 
to  know  how  I  could  help  him,  for  he  did  not 
seem  anxious  to  speak  of  his  trouble,  though 
I  knew  well  enough  our  foreman  had  some- 
thing on  his  mind. 

We  had  organized  a  big  rabbit  drive  for 
Saturday  afternoon,  and  a  huge  bonfire  to  be 
held  in  the  woods  in  the  evening,   around 


176  DOWN  NORTH  on  The  LABRADOR 

which  we  were  all  to  gather  and  partake  of  a 
feast  in  the  open,  prepared  for  all  comers. 
Rube  was  crazy  about  hunting,  and  every 
one  fully  expected  him  to  direct  the  shooters. 
But  no  Rube  put  in  an  appearance,  and  to 
me  his  noticeable  absence  cast  quite  a  gloom 
over  the  proceedings.  We  had  a  fine  tale  of 
"  bunnies "  by  evening,  and  as  jokes  were 
cracked  and  yarns  told  around  the  blazing 
log  fire  under  the  greenwood  trees,  hot  cocoa 
and  hot  toasted  pork  cakes  were  passed 
around.  Every  one  seemed  just  as  jolly  as 
sandhoppers.  The  frolic  closed  with  singing, 
the  voices  of  the  men  echoing  through  the 
silent  forest.  But  for  my  part,  my  thoughts 
were  all  the  time  in  Rube  Marvin's  cot- 
tage. 

After  Sunday  evening  service,  it  is  often 
our  custom  to  gather  such  of  the  men  as  care 
to  drop  in  and  have  some  singing — and  the 
following  night  there  was  quite  an  assem- 
blage. As  the  men  were  dispersing  and  we 
were  saying  good-night,  one  of  them  touched 
me  on  the  shoulder  and  said  : 

"  Can  I  have  a  few  words  with  you,  doctor, 
quite  in  private  ?  " 

"Certainly  you  can,"  I  answered.  "  I'll 
get  my  racquets,  and  we'll  be  able  to  walk  off 
the  path.    We'll  be  more  alone  then." 


RUBE  MARVIN'S  CONFESSION  177 

■'  •*  Doctor,"  he  began,  "  if  you  tells  anything 
you  knows  is  there  anything  in  it  for  you  ?  " 

"  What  on  earth  do  you  mean  ?  " 

"  I  means,  doctor,  you's  a  magistrate, 
isn't  you  ?  And  if  a  fellow  tells  of  something 
done  wrong,  will  them  pay  him  anything  for 
it?" 

I  had  walked  to  windward,  as  the  men  say, 
while  we  were  talking,  and  now  I  stopped 
suddenly  and  looked  straight  in  the  face  of 
my  companion.  There  I  could  see  written 
in  unmistakable  language  the  expression  of 
greed — so  rare  among  our  men,  and  so  hate- 
ful, that  I  shuddered. 

He  was  pawing  the  snow  uneasily  now 
with  one  foot,  and  his  eyes  fell  before  my 
gaze. 

"Jacob,"  I  said,  "if  you  know  of  a  crime 
and  conceal  it,  you  are  guilty  of  it  yourself 
in  man's  sight ;  and  if  you  sell  your  guilty 
knowledge  merely  for  private  gain,  you  are 
doubly  guilty  in  the  sight  of  God — and  of 
all  good  men,  too.  Yes,  you  can  sell  your 
soul  and  your  honour,  too,  if  you  want  to ; 
there  are  plenty  of  buyers ;  but  I  won't  let 
you  do  it  without  thinking  of  it  again. 
Good-bye.  I'm  going  back  to  the  house." 
And  I  left  him  standing  there  motionless 
where  he  was,  till  I   had  turned  the  corner 


178  DOWN  NORTH  on  The  LABRADOR 

of  the  wood  path,  and  he  was  no  longer  in 
sight. 

Nothing  further  happened  in  the  matter 
next  day,  and  I  tramped  around  the  village 
from  house  to  house  as  my  business  called 
me,  wondering  if  I  should  hear  more  of  the 
affair  of  the  previous  night. 

The  manager  of  ^the  mill  had  built  on  to 
his  house  what  he  was  pleased  to  call  "  the 
prophet's  chamber,"  and  in  this  I  was  wont 
to  close  the  day  alone,  making  up  my  note- 
books and  finishing  the  day's  round.  The 
light  shining  through  the  windows  apprised 
the  people  of  the  fact  that  I  wcis  in,  and  it 
was  by  no  means  unusual  for  some  of  them 
to  avail  themselves  of  the  opportunity  to 
come  and  speak  about  anything  that  might 
be  troubling  them. 

I  was  glad  that  no  one  had  come  this 
evening,  as  I  had  so  many  things  to  occupy 
my  mind,  and  I  was  just  about  to  put  out 
the  light  and  "  turn  in,"  when  a  timid  knock 
broke  the  silence,  and  in  response  to  my  in- 
vitation to  come  in,  the  door  opened  and  the 
figure  of  my  informant  of  the  previous  even- 
ing stood  in  the  doorway. 

"  Shut  the  door,  Jake,  and  sit  down.  I'm 
quite  alone.  No.  No.  Shake  hands.  You 
don't  know  how  glad  I  am  you've  come  out 


RUBE  MARVIN'S  CONFESSION  179 

on  top.  Thank  God  for  it,  if  ever  you  did  in 
your  life  for  anything." 

He  realized  at  once  that  I  knew  he  had 
won  out,  for  he  looked  me  straight  in  the 
face  and  the  beauty  of  a  right  purpose  beamed 
out  of  his  eyes  so  that  to  me  it  made  the  poor 
little  room  in  which  we  sat  better  than  a 
conqueror's  palace.  Something  seemed  to 
be  choking  the  throats  of  both  of  us,  as  we 
just  looked  at  one  another  in  silence.  It  was 
I  who  found  voice  first. 

"  Let's  have  it,  Jake.  God  be  praised, 
there's  nothing  we  can't  get  right  when  He's 
behind  us,  as  I'm  sure  He  is  now." 

"  Doctor,"  he  began,  "  it's  about  Rube 
Marvin.  I  knows  why  he  isn't  hisself  these 
days.  He  done  a  wrong  thing  two  years 
ago,  doctor,  and  he  can't  keep  it  to  hisself  no 
longer.  He  got  going  to  prayers  again  last 
fall,  and  t'  preacher  at  Christmas  time  seemed 
to  know  just  what  was  wrong  with  all  o'  us. 
Leastways  them  things  he  preached  to  we 
about,  just  got  hold.  I've  been  to  see  Rube 
since  last  night,  and  he  wants  to  come  and 
tell  you  all  about  it,  only  he  can't  bring  hisself 
to  do  it." 

"Then  you  have  nothing  to  say  yourself?" 

"  No,  doctor,  nothing,  unless  you  or  Rube 
wants  me  to." 


i8o  DOWN  NORTH  on  The  LABRADOR 

"It's  best  that  way.  Let  Rube  alone, 
and  let  whatever  he  does  come  from  him- 
self and  not  from  us.  It  will  help  him  after- 
wards." 

As  I  started  out  on  my  rounds  next  morn- 
ing I  took  occasion  to  pass  the  new  schooner 
and  sing  out  a  greeting  to  the  men. 

"  All  well,  I  hope,  Esau.  You'll  be  ready 
for  the  top  side  planking  soon." 

"Ready  now,"  he  replied  cheerily,  "but 
we  can't  begin  without  Rube." 

"  Hasn't  Rube  shown  up  this  fine  morn- 
ing?" 

"  Not  a  sign  o'  him,  doctor.  I  guess  you'll 
have  to  fix  him  up  with  a  dose  o'  sorts.  His 
nose  has  been  out  o'  joint  this  three  weeks." 

"I'll  call  round  and  see  if  I  can  set  it, 
E^u.  But  I'm  thinking  the  cure  may  take 
longer  than  we  expect.  Meanwhile,  get 
ahead  all  you  can."  And  I  swung  off  in  the 
direction  of  Rube's  cottage. 

As  I  struck  up  the  pathway  from  the  side 
of  the  inlet — I  had  been  obliged  to  walk 
on  the  sea  ice  owing  to  the  thick  trees 
along  the  land-wash — I  heard  the  sound  of 
children's  voices,  and  found  Rube's  three 
little  ones  simply  revelling  in  the  crisp,  dry 
snow  and  the  bright  sunshine  streaming 
through  the  trees. 


RUBE  MARVIN'S  CONFESSION  i8i 

^'  Daddy  dorn  out,"  the  oldest  volunteered 
as  she  saw  me  heading  for  the  front  door 

"  Where  has  he  gone,  dearie  ?  " 

"  He's  dorn  in  the  trees  ever  so  long." 

I  expected  as  much  and  went  on  into  the 
house  to  chat  with  his  wife  as  an  explanation 
for  my  morning  call. 

As  I  tramped  back  along  the  edge  of  the 
woods  and  was  nearing  the  Devil's  Head- 
land, I  heard  the  crackling  of  bushes,  and 
suddenly  the  tall  figure  of  Rube  strode  out 
on  his  snow  racquets  into  the  trail  ahead  of 
me. 

As  I  looked  into  his  eyes,  I  could  not  help 
smiling  at  the  transparency  of  these  simple 
men.  It  was  quite  superfluous  for  him  to 
begin  without  any  other  word  of  introduc- 
tion— "  I  wants  to  tell  you  something,  doc- 
tor. I  wants  you  to  send  me  to  prison  for 
it." 

"There's  no  time  like  the  present,  Rube. 
If  you've  got  anything  on  your  mind  the 
sooner  you  out  with  it  the  better  for  you." 

"  It's  about  the  Silver  King,  doctor,  what 
was  lost  three  years  ago  come  September." 

There  was  a  long  pause  during  which 
neither  of  us  spoke.  Rube  was  fighting  for 
his  life ;  I  silent,  lest  I  should  rob  him  of  the 
help  which  I  knew  would  come  to  him  if  he 


i82  DOWN  NORTH  on  The  LABRADOR 

won  out  alone.  It  was  very  cold,  and  the 
crisp  crackle  of  the  snow,  as  we  strode  along 
on  our  racquets,  was  for  a  full  ten  minutes  the 
only  accompaniment  to  the  laboured  breath- 
ing of  my  companion,  in  whom  a  contest  was 
raging,  ten  times  as  exacting  as  any  physical 
struggle. 

Suddenly  he  stepped  ahead,  and  facing 
around,  stopped  me  dead  in  the  path. 

"  I  done  it !  "  he  exclaimed  almost  fiercely. 
"  I  hadn't  nothing  for  t'  winter,  and  Downer 
promised  if  I  did  it,  he'd  give  us  all  t'  back 
debts,  and  a  winter's  diet  for  all  o'  we  as  well. 
He  come  three  times  afore  I  gived  in.  He 
were  sailing  for  home  t'  next  day,  and 
threatened  he'd  take  every  bit  o'  grub  away 
with  him — and  he  would,  too.  He  knowed 
what  us  had,  and  that  us  would  be  hungry 
before  Christmas,  to  say  nothing  o'  no  butter 
for  e'er  a  one  o'  us,  and  ne'er  a  tin  o'  milk 
for  t'  baby.  And  Mary  was  sick  too,  then,  as 
you  knows,  doctor,  and " 

And  the  great  strong  man  turned  away 
from  me,  and  burying  his  face  in  his  hands 
stood  there  with  his  broad  shoulders  heaving, 
sobbing  like  a  child. 

More  than  once  it  has  been  my  lot  as  a 
surgeon  to  see  a  man  learn  that  the  trouble 
of  which  he  had  come  to  know  the  nature 


RUBE  MARVIN'S  CONFESSION  183 

spelled  for  him  inevitable  death — and  to  see 
his  courage  waver,  and  fail  him  at  the 
thought  of  it.  I  have  had  to  break  to  a 
loving  wife  and  fond  mother  the  news  that 
her  protector  and  breadwinner  would  never 
come  back  again  till  the  sea  gives  up  its 
dead.  But  this  experience  was  new  to  me, 
and  somehow  hit  me  harder.  Indeed  a  lump 
rose  in  my  throat,  and  I  wished  with  all  my 
heart  I  might  have  been  spared  this  expe- 
rience. 

'*  Rube,"  I  broke  in  at  last,  "  the  best  way 
is  to  play  the  man  now,  and  regardless  of 
what  it  costs,  get  this  matter  put  right.  Let's 
go  to  the  mill,  and  you  shall  give  me  the 
whole  story  on  oath.  We'll  have  it  properly 
witnessed,  and  then  we'll  send  it  off  for  good 
or  ill  to  the  chief  of  police  in  St.  John's.  If 
the  worst  comes  to  the  worst,  there  are  plenty 
of  us  who  would  just  love  to  see  that  Mary 
and  the  kids  want  for  nothing  while  you're 
away.  Come  along  right  away."  I  put 
my  arm  in  his,  and  we  swung  off  at  a  pace  I 
haven't  tried  to  equal  since.  We  seemed 
scarcely  to  touch  the  snow  now,  though  only 
a  minute  ago  it  had  clogged  our  footsteps 
like  so  much  glue. 

When  at  last  we  stopped  at  the  lintel  of  the 
"  prophet's  chamber "  there  was  a  flush  on 


i84  DOWN  NORTH  on  The  LABRADOR 

our  cheeks  and  a  throb  in  our  pulses  rather 
like  that  of  boys  working  off  superfluous 
vitality  than  of  a  magistrate  and  his  criminal 
looking  for  punishment. 

"  I  think  we  had  better  have  Walter  for  a 
witness.  It's  wiser,  seeing  he  employs  the 
men,  that  he  should  know  the  whole  story 
from  the  beginning,"  I  said.  "  Who  would 
you  like  for  a  second?  It's  better  to  have 
two." 

For  a  minute  he  answered  nothing,  as  if 
he  were  thinking  things  over  carefully,  and 
then  he  said  suddenly,  "  Jake  Rumford." 

It  was  a  strange  party  that  gathered  round 
the  tea  table  that  night.  The  two  men  to 
whom  I  had  sent  word  came  straight  in  from 
their  work,  and  I  had  dispatched  a  message 
to  his  wife  that  I  was  keeping  Rube  for 
supper. 

The  following  is  the  confession,  taken  and 
abridged  from  the  long  tale  Rube  told  me  : 

"  It  was  on  Sunday  evening,  September 
14,  19 — .  Captain  Adam  Downer  came  to 
my  house  after  evening  prayers  and  said  he 
were  going  to  sail  from  this  place  after  mid- 
night for  the  winter.  He  asked  me  if  I  had 
changed  my  mind,  and  would  I  help  him  to 
scuttle  his  schooner,  the  Silver  King,  and 
promised  if  I  would  do  as  he  told  me  there 


RUBE  MARVIN'S  CONFESSION  185 

would  be  no  more  said  about  it,  as  o'  course  he 
wouldn't  and  t'  skipper  didn't  know  nothing 
about  it.  He  said  it  would  only  be  t'  skipper 
what  would  have  to  swear  to  the  protest  for 
t'  insurance.  He'd  never  know  how  'twas 
done,  and  so  he'd  never  be  found  out,  and 
there' d  be  no  need  for  me  to  get  into  trouble 
swearing  to  lies.  I  remembered  then  they'd 
been  loading  her  with  rocks  the  best  part  o' 
Friday  and  Saturday,  and  my  Jimmie  had 
said,  *  They's  taking  in  a  fine  lot  o'  ballast.' 
Downer  said  he'd  give  we  all  our  old  back 
debts,  and  a  winter's  diet  besides  for  me  and 
t'  family  out  of  what  he'd  landed.  He  said 
t'  skipper  didn't  know,  but  he'd  emptied  every 
box  aboard,  and  there  were  nothing  now 
aboard  for  trading  except  old  packing  cases 
and  rocks. 

"'Come,  Rube,'  he  says,  'don't  be  a 
coward.  There's  nothing  to  it.  It's  better 
than  going  hungry.  You  don't  want  t' 
kids  to  starve,  do  you  ? '  Then  he  got  up 
and  took  his  hat  and  said,  '  Well,  I  must  be 
off  and  get  some  one  else,  if  you's  going  to 
stand  in  your  own  light.  I  thought  you  had 
more  spunk.'  And  then  it  came  in  my  mind 
that  it  had  to  be  done  now,  and  some  one  'd 
surely  do  it,  so  them  insurance  folk  would  be 
no  worse  off  if  I  done  it  than  any  one  else, 


i86  DOWN  NORTH  on  The  LABRADOR 

and  why  not  Mary  and  my  kids  have  t'  grub 
as  well  as  t'  next  man  ?  And  so  I  said, '  Well 
here  goes.*  God  forgive  me.  And  Downer 
says,  *  That's  right,  Rube,  I  always  thought 
you  was  no  milksop.  Just  get  your  auger 
and  come  down  along  o'  me.' 

"  We  went  on  board,  unknown  to  any  one, 
and  into  the  forecastle,  where  he  had  taken  the 
ballast  deck  up.  He  lit  a  candle  and  showed 
me  where  to  bore  some  holes  in  the  planking, 
and  I  bored  about  a  dozen,  till  there  were 
only  a  shell  left  on  the  outside.  Then  us  put 
back  t'  planking  and  roused  all  hands  to  get 
the  anchor. 

"It  were  a  lovely  fine  night  in  harbour ; 
there  were  no  wind,  and  to  get  outside  t* 
heads  us  had  to  tow  the  old  Silver  King  in 
t'  dory.  Downer  kept  saying,  'There'll  be 
lots  o'  wind  outside,  boys.  Give  her  t'  wood- 
sails.' 

"It  were  pitch  dark  and  us  couldn't  see 
hardly  what  was  happening,  but  us  found  a 
nasty  cross  lop  running  what  made  it  terrible 
hard  rowing ;  then  jest  as  we  was  getting 
tired  of  it,  something  seemed  all  of  a  sudden 
to  loom  up  under  our  lea,  and  us  knowed 
we'd  drifted  with  the  southern  tide  in  under 
the  White  Bear  Cliffs,  You  knows  them 
cliffs,  doctor,  and  you  knows  what  them  is. 


RUBE  MARVIN" S  CONFESSION  187 

Pull  as  us  liked  us  couldn't  even  keep  her 
head  off  shore.  The  skipper  he  was  cursing 
Downer  up  and  down  deck  for  being  such  a 

fool  for  coming  out  on  a  night  like  this, 

and  swearing  he'd  lose  him  every  cent  of 
insurance  if  ever  he  lived  to  get  alongside  a 
magistrate. 

"  Meanwhile  the  roll  of  the  sea  on  the 
rocks  was  making  a  cruel  noise  and  us 
could  see  the  white  of  the  breakers  as  they 
rose  against  the  cliffs.  Of  course  t'  skipper 
never  looks  to  leave  t'  deck,  but  even  now 
the  Silver  King  were  beginning  to  roll  heavy 
in  the  back-bound  from  the  rocks.  Us  could 
hear  him  cursing  Downer  and  telling  he  to 
get  over  in  the  boat  and  help  save  t'  ship. 
But  Downer  were  far  too  afeared  to  do  any- 
thing, and  at  last  t'  skipper  shouted  to  us 
he'd  come  in  t'  boat  and  do  it  himself,  and 
give  we  a  hand. 

"  As  us  come  along  for  him  the  schooner 
'd  lift  on  t'  swell  as  it  rushed  in  on  the 
cliffs,  and  the  back-bound  would  take  her 
and  nigh  roll  her  on  her  beam  ends. 
Downer  were  praying  hard  for  God  to  save 
her,  for  he  were  a  pious  man  most  times,  but 
he  had  no  stomach  for  rough  water,  and  he'd 
'a'  been  drowned  sure  if  the  Silver  King  had 
struck.     Yet  I  dunno,  but  I  reckon  Downer's 


I88  DOWN  NORTH  on  The  LABRADOR 

prayers  were  answered  somehow.  For  what 
we  couldn't  do  for  she,  t'  old  schooner  done 
all  of  a  sudden  for  herself,  and  she  come 
walking  ofl  again  after  we'd  scraped  along 
by  the  Devil's  Headland  as  if  she'd  just  been 
playing  wi'  we  afore. 

"  There  were  a  hatful  o'  wind  now  and  t* 
schooner  were  slipping  along  well.  Downer 
had  said  he'd  take  the  watch  forward,  while 
t'  skipper  steered  and  us  got  a  nap  after 
t'  night's  work. 

"  It  must  have  been  just  about  coming  day- 
light, though  it  seemed  as  if  us  had  only  just 
turned  in,  when  some  one  touched  me  on 
the  shoulder  quiet-like,  and  I  saw  Downer 
leaning  over  me. 

*• '  It's  all  ready  now,  Rube,'  he  said ;  '  us  is 
in  near  about  to  Roaring  Meg  wi'  a  fair 
wind  in  for  Frenchman's  Light.  T'  skipper's 
away  aft  at  t'  helm,  and  I've  got  the  two  half 
hundred  weights  way  out  along  her  bowsprit, 
and  a  line  fast.  I'm  a-going  to  jerk  'em  off 
so  they'll  hit  her  bow  hard,  and  then  I  shall 
shout  to  the  skipper  for  striking  a  piece  of 
ice.  You  go  at  once  and  push  out  the  rest 
o'  them  broken  holes  forward,  and  then  I'll 
call  to  you  to  know  if  there's  any  harm  done. 
You'll  just  shout  out,  "  She's  stove  in  forward 
and  sinking,"  and  then  you'll  run  and  tell  the 


RUBE  MARVIN'S  CONFESSION  189 

skipper  she's  started  a  couple  o'  butts  for- 
ward. Only  give  her  time  to  get  down  by 
the  head  a  bit  before  he  can  come  and  see 
for  hisself.' 

"  I  was  more  than  half  minded  then  and 
there  to  up  and  swear  at  him  for  a  devil 
that  he  was.  'Deed  Downer  saw  plain 
enough  I  was  nearly  ready  to  go  back  on 
my  word,  and  he  just  hissed  into  my  ear, 
'There's  the  holes  that  you  bored  in  her 
now,  Rube.  If  you  goes  back  on  me  now  I 
swear  to  God  I'll  have  you  in  jail  for  try- 
ing to  sink  my  ship.  And  I  guess  they'll 
listen  to  me,  for  I've  got  your  bit  what 
fits  them  holes  stowed  away  feared  I  might 
want  it.' 

"  If  I'd  had  a  gun,  I  believe  I'd  'a'  shot  him 
then  and  there,  for  I  seed  I'd  been  fairly 
trapped.  Then  I  began  to  think  o'  home 
and  I  sort  o*  half  give  way.  I  reckon 
Downer  must  'a'  seen  that,  for  he  says, 
'What'll  your  woman  do,  and  you  in  jail 
all  winter,  and  she  nothing  in  the  house?' 
You  remembers  Levi's  three  kids,  doctor, 
don't  you,  what  all  died  that  winter  he  were 
in  trouble  for  breaking  into  a  vessel  ?  Well 
then  Downer  went  on  calling  me  a  coward, 
and  saying  I  was  false  to  my  word.  '  Do  you 
think  they'll  take  your  word  or  mine?'  he 


I90  DOWN  NORTH  on  The  LABRADOR 

said,  till  I  just  got  up  and  knocked  out 
the  holes  afore  he  was  up  the  companion 
ladder. 

"In  a  minute  or  two  there  were  a  huge 
crash  agin  her  bow  and  I  heard  the  skipper  call 
out,  '  What's  that  ? '  *  You've  struck  a  pan 
o'  ice,'  shouted  Downer,  *  and  I  reckon  you've 
stove  in  a  plank.  I'll  rouse  t'  hands.' 
With  that  he  jumped  below,  and  seeing  the 
water  was  already  up  to  the  flooring  forrard 
and  well  above  t'  auger  holes,  he  rushes  up 
hisself  and  shouts,  '  She's  a-sinkin'.  Get  a 
boat  out  and  let  us  save  what  we  can.'  The 
old  skipper  knew  Downer  for  a  coward  and 
come  forrard  and  peered  over  the  fore-hatch 
hisself,  and  sees  me  with  a  hurricane  lantern, 
peering  round.  '  Is  it  really  bad  with  her, 
Rube?  I  wouldn't  believe  that  ole  vermin 
if  he  swore  by  all  the  saints,  good  and  bad.' 
'Skipper,'  I  says,  't'  boards  is  afloat  already 
as  you  can  see,  and  there's  three  feet  o'  water 
over  t'  leak.  There's  no  man  living  able  to 
save  her  unless  t'  pumps  does.'     '  Get  up  at 

*em, ye  ! '  he  replied.    '  And  Dick,  too. 

I  guess  I'll  stay  and  see  if  I  can  do  anything 
below  here  myself.'  And  down  he  comes 
just  as  if  he  suspected  something. 

"  I  was  glad  enough  to  slink  off  up  the  nor'- 
west  passage.     Dick  mounted  t'  pump  handle 


RUBE  MARVIN'S  CONFESSION  191 

in  less  time  than  I  cared  about,  and  began 
pumping  hard.  I  were  afraid  he  might  gain 
enough  on  t'  water  to  give  the  ol'  man  be- 
low a  chance  to  learn  the  real  truth.  But 
pump  as  hard  as  he  liked,  not  a  drop  of  water 
did  he  get.  I  soon  guessed  Downer  had 
fixed  the  pumps — in  case  of  accidents  ! 

•'  Seeing  there  were  no  good  doing  any- 
thing, while  Dick  tried  to  start  the  pumps  with 
a  bucket  or  two  of  water,  I  went  forrard  to 
peep  into  the  fo' castle.  There  were  the 
skipper,  sure  enough,  lying  on  the  settle  and 
trying  to  reach  down  into  the  water  to  find 
out  the  rights  o'  things.  But  I  knowed  he 
were  too  late  by  the  way  he  were  swearing, 
and  already  the  water  was  nigh  up  to  the 
locker  tops,  and  the  vessel  sinking  head 
foremost. 

"  As  soon  as  Downer  saw  the  skipper  com- 
ing aft,  he  started  shouting,  'For  God's 
sake,  help  us  to  save  the  freight.  I'm  a 
ruined  man,  if  us  can't  save  t'  goods.'  And 
he  had  already  lugged  up  a  couple  of  boxes 
which  he  left  full,  as  if  every  old  case  were 
full  too — and  some  of  'em  did  have  a  nice  lot 
o'  rocks  in. 

"  The  skipper,  he  said  nothing,  but  he  put 
the  helm  hard  up  and  headed  in  for  t'  bight. 
*  Skipper,'  says  Downer,  '  seeing  it'll  all  be 


192  DOWN  NORTH  on  The  LABRADOR 

lost,  if  you'll  put  her  head  up  in  the  wind  and 
let  me  save  a  few  things,  I'll  give  you  half 
when  we  get  on  shore.'  But  the  skipper 
didn't  answer  one  way  or  t'  other,  but  just 
held  her  right  on  for  the  headland.  It  did 
seem  a  terrible  long  time,  but  t'  Silver  King 
just  wouldn't  sink.  A  plucky  ol'  craft  she'd 
been,  and  it  seemed  as  if  she  just  wasn't  goin' 
to  be  killed.  And  I  believe  now  she'  d  'a'  held 
on  and  got  in  to  the  beach  and  told  her  own 
tale  if  it  hadn't  been  for  that  same  ol'  cross 
swell  near  t'  land.  For  us  could  see  t'  skipper 
meant  holding  on  to  her  till  her  sank,  and 
no  one  dare  even  look  up  at  t'  boat  without 
his  leave. 

"  That  were  the  worst  time  I  ever  saw — 
them  hours  doing  nothing.  Downer  were 
praying.  The  dawn  were  breaking  fast, 
and  I  could  see  his  lips  a-moving  to  his- 
self.  For  he  daren't  pray  the  kind  o' 
prayer  he  were  praying  out  loud  for  fear  t' 
skipper'd  hear  un.  And  he  were  far  too 
scairt  anyhow,  to  move  any  farther  than  he  had 
to  from  the  boat.  Anyhow,  it  got  answered 
again  somehow  all  right,  for  the  very  first 
roll  that  took  the  Silver  King  sent  her  lurch- 
ing right  over  to  starboard,  arid  she  never 
recovered  herself  one  bit.  Slowly  and 
steadily  she  keeled  over.     There  wasn't  e'er 


RUBE  MARVIN'S  CONFESSION  193 

a  kick  in  her,  and  it  were  plain  enough  that 
it  were  her  death  struggle. 

"  * her  for  a  crinker ! '   shouted  t' 

skipper.  *  If  her  hadn't  such  a  belly  full  I'd 
ha'  saved  her  even  now,'  and  he  flung  t' 
tiller  from  him  as  if  it  had  been  a  serpent. 

"  It  was  too  late,  however.  Her  big  main- 
sail were  under  water,  and  there  were  no 
chance  now  even  to  get  below  to  save  any- 
thing. Lucky  for  him,  t'  skipper  had  sent 
Dick  to  get  his  kit  bag  for  him  in  t'  boat  be- 
fore and  lucky  for  us  all  he  saw  Downer 
sneaking  into  t'  boat.  He  yelled  to  Dick, 
just  in  t'  nick  o'  time  to  follow  him.  For  I 
really  believe  he'd  a  cut  t'  painter  and  let  her 
go  fear  she'll  be  dragged  down  with  the 
schooner  and  he  be  damned  forever  and 
ever  as  he  knew  he  ought  to  be.  It's  likely 
enough,  too,  he  never  would  have  got  back 
to  we,  if  he  had  once  cut  her  adrift.  But 
thank  God  he  didn't,  or  I'd  *a'  been  in  hell  now 
too,  having  ne'er  a  chance  for  repentance." 

At  this  point  Rube  suddenly  stopped  and 
there  was  a  dead  silence  in  the  room — 
broken  only  by  the  scratch  of  my  pen  as  I 
continued  to  take  down  his  story.  The 
thought  of  the  awful  peril  he  had  run  seemed 
to  have  robbed  him  temporarily  of  his  power 
of  speech.     He  sat  for  a  minute  or  two  with 


194  DOWN  NORTH  on  The  LABRADOR 

his  head  buried  in  his  hands.  Then  ap- 
parently without  even  noticing  the  pause,  he 
went  on  again. 

"  Well,  t'  skipper  just  wouldn't  let  t'  boat 
leave  the  ol'  Silver  Kmg.  '  Stand  by,'  was 
his  orders,  and  stand  by  us  had  to. 

'*  There  seemed  no  good  any  longer  stand- 
ing by  t'  ol'  schooner.  It  was  only  foolish- 
ness, though  I  were  no  longer  afraid,  know- 
ing us  could  make  t'  land  in  t'  boat  any  time 
we  liked.  But  it  did  seem  nonsense  to  be 
holding  on  if  us  were  only  just  going  to 
watch  her  go  down.  All  of  a  sudden  I 
guessed  it.  The  port  rail  were  going  up  and 
up  and  up,  and  t'  starboard  were  already 
under  water.  Already  we  were  almost 
climbing  up  her  side,  and  I  knowed  if  she 
didn't  go  down  in  a  minute  or  two,  the  place 
where  she'd  been  hit  'ud  be  out  o'  water.  T' 
skipper  knowed  it  too,  I  reckon,  and  all  the 
time  he  were  just  enjoying  seeing  the  fright 
Downer  were  in  anyhow,  and  keeping  it  up 
as  long  as  he  could,  while  he  were  grinning 
to  hisself  that  he'd  find  out  yet  what  had 
done  the  damage  to  any  craft  in  his  care.  I 
knowed  it,  for  I  could  fair  see  him  a-swearing 
under  his  big  beard. 

"  *  Let  go  the  boat,  Rube,'  the  skipper  called 
at  last.     I  thought  then  even  he  were  forced 


RUBE  MARVIN'S  CONFESSION  195 

to  leave  her,  for  any  moment  she  might  dive 
down  with  all  them  rocks  in  her,  and  then 
she'd  surely  suck  us  all  down  with  her.  But 
no  such  t'ing. 

"  *  All  hands  in  the  boat,'  he  says.  '  You  and 
Rube  take  the  oars  and  stand  by  till  I  calls 
you.'  Now  he  was  actually  sitting  on  the 
side  of  the  vessel,  by  the  fore  channel  plates, 
holding  on  to  the  lanyards.  The  swell  was 
a-lapping  up  over  her  and  over  him  every 
now  and  again,  but  he  seemed  to  take  no 
notice  that  he  was  getting  wet.  Dick  leant 
forrard  and  whispered  to  me,  *  The  ol'  man's 
got  a  devil,  I  reckon,  or  he  wouldn't  be  fool- 
ing any  longer  round  this  ol'  bunch  o'  boards. 
And  what's  more  the  devil' 11  get  him  sure 
enough  if  he  stays  many  minutes  longer.' 
But  all  of  a  sudden  again  the  truth  of  it  came 
to  my  mind.  The  skipper  had  guessed  it  long 
ago  :  the  ol'  schooner  couldn't  sink  for  the  air 
bottled  up  in  her,  and  so  long  as  it  didn't 
come  on  to  blow,  she'd  float  about  forever  like 
a  murdered  corpse  on  the  water.  And  what's 
more,  her  'ud  show  every  one  where  she'd 
been  killed. 

"  It  was  dawn  now,  and  bitter  cold  and 
shivery,  when  suddenly  Downer  called  out, 
*  There's  a  schooner  coming  out  of  the  bight. 
Seems  to  me  she's  a-coming  right  for  us.' 


196  DOWN  NORTH  on  The  LABRADOR 

The  skipper  just  looked  round  for  a  second. 
*  Maybe  she  is,'  he  said,  and  then  he  glued 
his  eyes  again  on  the  schooner's  forefoot 
which  every  now  and  then  came  nearly  out 
of  water  on  the  swell.  Not  a  catspaw  of 
air  now,  only  the  swell  of  the  sea.  And  it 
was  so  silent,  I  thought  every  now  and  again 
I  could  catch  the  click  of  the  oars  of  the  boat 
that  we  guessed  was  towing  the  schooner 
away  off  from  under  the  heads  of  the  cliffs, 
just  as  we  did  in  the  night. 

"  Once  more  the  sweat  nearly  came  out  on 
me,  for  I  thought  that  schooner  'ud  surely  be 
out  to  us  and  find  out  all  about  it.  Downer 
were  sitting  in  the  stern.  He  looked  the 
colour  o'  mud  now,  and  he  were  praying  hard 
to  hisself  again,  and  I  know  for  what.  It 
did  me  good  to  see  him  taking  it  so  ill,  for 
though  I  knowed  I  was  as  bad  myself  I  just 
hated  him,  and  hated  him  for  driving  me  into 
it.  And  I  knowed,  too,  even  if  us  wasn't 
found  out  and  was  drowned,  the  devil  would 
only  be  getting  what  was  due  to  he. 

"  All  this  time  the  schooner  were  getting 
nearer.  Us  could  plainly  make  her  out  now, 
heading  right  for  us.  At  last  Downer  couldn't 
stand  it  no  longer.  '  For  God's  sake,  skip- 
per,' he  kind  o'  prayed,  '  let's  be  going.' 
There  were  no  spunk  left  in  him,  and  his 


RUBE  MARVIN'S  CONFESSION  197 

voice  sounded  more  like  a  dog's  whine, 
though  it  were  much  like  his  reg'lar  prayer- 
meeting  voice. 

"  Old  Abe  were  standing  up  high  on  t' 
schooner's  side,  and,  looking  round  right  into 
Downer's  face — 'What's  t'  hurry?'  he  an- 
swered. '  She's  been  a  good  ship  all  her  life 
long.  She's  served  me  well  in  many  a  tight 
corner,  and  I  ain't  a-goin'  now  to  heave  off 
and  let  her  die  alone.  I'm  a-going  to  stand 
by  and  see  her  through  the  last  fight.  Guess 
I  shan't  just  want  to  go  out  alone  myself  when 
I  gets  my  anchors  up  for  the  last  time.  No, 
no,  there's  no  hurry,  Mister  Downer.  You 
and  me  '11  get  safely  back  to  land,  don't  you 
have  no  fear  of  that'  and  he  looked  at  Downer 
as  if  he  meant  a  good  bit  more'n  that. 

"  The  light  were  only  duckish  yet,  and  it 
made  old  Abe  loom  up  right  large,  stand- 
ing straight  up  there  on  the  schooner's 
bilge.  It  seemed  almost  as  if  he  was  t' 
preacher  at  t'  meeting  speaking,  and  us  sit- 
ting there  in  t'  pews  a-listening.  No  one 
said  nothing.  'Deed  it  was  for  all  the  world 
like  a  prayer-meeting  when  the  skipper 
hisself  began  to  hum  a  line  o'  one  o'  the 
hymns  us  sings  about — *  I  hopes  to  meet  my 
Pilot  face  to  face,  when  I  puts  out  to  sea.'  I 
thought  Downer  were  going  out  of  his  mind 


198   DOWN  NORTH  on  The  LABRADOR 

now.  He  fair  forgot  hisself  altogether  like  he 
done  once  at  our  revival,  only  this  time  he 
were  shouting  to  t'  skipper  instead  of  to  t* 
Lord.  He  started  calling  out,  '  Why  doesn't 
she  sink  ?  For  God's  sake,  Abe,  why  doesn't 
she  sink?  Let's  get  away  from  her.  I  knows 
I  shall  die  if  I  stays  here  any  longer.  I  can't 
stand  it.  I  can't  stand  it.  You  shall  have 
all  I  owns  if  you'll  only  come.' 

*'  *  Can't  you  think  why  she  won't  sink, 
Mister  Downer  ? '  Abe  went  on  that  slowly 
you'd  think  he  were  just  beginning  a  sermon. 
'  Can't  you  guess  why  she  won't  sink  ? ' 
Downer  didn't  answer,  so  the  skipper  did  it 
for  him.  *  No,  it  ain't  just  cause  the  devil  is 
in  her,'  he  said,  '  though  I'm  not  saying 
there's  not  been  enough  devils  in  her  to  float 
her  on  a  sea  o'  fire — on  times,'  he  added. 
'  No,  it's  because  she's  got  air  in  her  bilge 
what  can't  get  out.  Thafs  what's  making 
her  forefoot  stick  up  that  way  out  of  water. 
I  thought  myself  maybe  it  was  just  old  Nick 
a-playin'  with  her  at  first,  and  I  wouldn't 
wonder  now  if  he  was  sorry  to  have  such  a 
trophy  lost  sight  on — fear  he  might  need  it  one 
o'  these  days  just  for  a  witness  against  people.' 

"  Downer's  jaw  dropped  like  at  a  wake 
when  the  cloth  comes  off  t'  corpse's  head,  and 
he  pulled  hisself  together  once  more. 


RUBE  MARVIN'S  CONFESSION  199 

.'"We'll  have  to  let  it  out,  Abe.  We'll 
have  to  let  it  out.  She'll  be  a  danger  to  the 
other  schooners  if  us  leaves  her  floating  here.' 

" '  Yes,  maybe  she  will,'  he  said,  but  that 
slowly  that  I  knowed  well  enough  what  he 
meant,  that  if  any  of  'em  saw  how  easy  it  was 
to  lose  a  schooner  they'd  likely  do  it  them- 
selves. Just  then  Downer  suddenly  looked 
up  at  the  heads  again,  and  there  us  could  see 
a  catspaw  o'  wind  off  the  land  and  the  sails 
of  the  strange  schooner  just  bellying  out  and 
airing  her  aloft  slowly  straight  towards  us. 
Downer  took  it  all  in  at  a  glance.  She'd  be 
alongside  us  in  a  few  minutes  if  the  breeze 
held  on. 

"  *  Let's  be  through  with  it  at  once,  Abe. 
It  needn't  take  Rube  two  seconds  to  make  a 
hole  in  the  bilge.  Here's  the  axe.  And  for 
God's  sake,  let's  be  quick,  or  I'll  be  dead  o* 
cold,  I  knows  I  will.* 

"  But  the  skipper  was  not  through  with  his 
sermon,  and  went  on  just  as  if  he  hadn't  heard 
him. 

"  *  Yes,  she'd  be  a  danger  to  some  on  'em, 
sure  enough.  Lead  us  not  into  temptation, 
t'  ol'  Book  says.  So  I  reckon  us  won't  leave 
no  stumbling-block  in  t'  way  o'  the  least  on 
'em' 

"  I  dunno  whether  Downer  seed  what  he 


200   DOWN  NORTH  on  The  LABRADOR 

were  driving  at,  but  to  help  him  out  the 
skipper  added,  *  Money  be  a  shocking  deceit- 
ful thing  and  there's  no  knowing  what  us 
poor  creatures  won't  do  to  get  it.'  And  then 
at  last,  seeing  it  was  that  cold  and  wet,  he 
come  slowly  down  and  got  into  t'  boat.  For 
t'  holes  was  now  well  out  of  water  and  t' 
white  splinters  was  sticking  out  on  t'  outside.' 
"  T'  strange  schooner  were  drawing  nearer 
quite  quickly  now,  and  Downer  couldn't  stand 
it  no  longer.  So  grabbing  the  axe  hisself,  he 
ran  forrard  in  the  boat  and  climbed  out  on 
the  ol'  schooner's  side,  the  devil  o'  fear  sit- 
ting on  his  back.  No  one  else  said  anything. 
Us  just  stayed  as  us  was,  while  he  started 
chopping  at  the  planking,  wild  like.  He 
didn't  seem  to  mind  what  he  hit  so  long  as 
he  got  through,  and  he'd  hardly  begun  be- 
fore he  hit  an  iron  bolt  and  nearly  spoilt  his 
axe  blade.  My,  he  looked  queer  up  there 
hacking  and  hacking  like  a  wild  man  and  as 
if  his  life  depended  on  it.  What's  more,  f  air 
in  her  made  her  something  like  a  sounding 
box,  and  the  noise  must  surely  have  reached 
the  hilltops,  much  more  the  schooner  coming 
towards  us.  Bang,  bang,  bang,  went  the 
axe.  Meanwhile  the  skipper  got  into  the 
boat  and  stood  up  in  the  stern  with  the  steer- 
ing oar  in  his  hand,  just  waiting. 


RUBE  MARVIN'S  CONFESSION  201 

,"  '  Keep  her  close,  boys,'  he  said ;  '  maybe 
she'll  go  down  sudden  when  the  fool  gets 
through  her  planking.' 

"I  guessed  then  he  didn't  know  I'd  had 
any  hand  in  it,  and  I  was  sure  later,  when 
just  as  there  were  a  gurgle  kind  o'  explosion 
o'  air,  and  Downer  made  a  rush  for  the  boat, 
I  heard  him  say  half  to  hisself,  '  Maybe  it's  as 
well  to  let  it  go  at  that — "  Vengeance  is  mine, 
I  will  repay." '  For  the  skipper  were  as  good 
at  t'  Bible  as  he  were  at  swearin'. 

"  And  so  the  ol'  ship  went  down  and  us 
rowed  in  for  the  heads.  The  schooner  passed 
us  by  without  hardly  noticing  us,  except  one 
hand  on  the  deck  at  the  wheel  waved  his 
hand  to  we.  Maybe  they  took  us  for  a  boat 
out  fishing— maybe  them  didn't. 

"  That's  all,  doctor,  'cos  soon  as  us  got  into 
harbour.  Downer  just  told  his  story  and  no- 
body else  said  nothing.  No,  I  dunno  if  he 
ever  got  his  insurance.  Most  likely  he  did. 
The  skipper  could  only  have  got  hisself  into 
trouble  by  saying  anything,  for  he  had  noth- 
ing to  show.  He  knowed  nothing  more  than 
that  he'd  seen  holes  in  her  bow  with  the 
splinters  on  the  outside,  and  the  jury  wouldn't 
care  about  that.  It  'ud  never  have  put 
Downer  in  jail,  and  so  he  let  it  go  at  that 

"No,  I  never  got  one  cent  or  one  cake  o' 


202  DOWN  NORTH  on  The  LABRADOR 

bread.  Downer  cursed  me  for  a  fool  as  soon 
as  I  put  foot  on  shore.  He  swore  he'd  never 
give  me  a  cent,  and  if  I  said  a  word  about  it, 
it  would  be  me  what  they'd  send  to  jail  for 
boring  the  holes.  I  couldn't  have  swallowed 
a  bite  of  it  anyhow,  and  it  would  have 
poisoned  my  family,  I  thought.  So  I  just  let 
it  go  at  that.  I  had  come  to  myself  partly 
with  the  morning  light,  but  I  daren't  go  and 
tell  any  one,  and  it  has  been  worse  than  be- 
ing dead  ever  since.  I  knowed  I  ought  to  be 
in  jail,  and  yet  I  was  afraid  it  would  kill  my 
wife  and  starve  the  children  if  I  told.  At  last 
I  couldn't  keep  it  up  no  longer.  It  strangled 
me  by  nights,  and  I  couldn't  work  anyhow 
by  day.  So  I  just  telled  Jake  here.  And  a 
bit  later  he  got  me  to  go  to  prayers  with  him 
one  morning.  That  were  the  end  of  it,  doc- 
tor. I  couldn't  keep  it  in  no  longer,  and 
that's  all  there  is  to  it.  It  were  like  a  great, 
awful  pack  on  my  back  everywhere  I  went — 
I  were  never  a  minute  free  from  it.  I  reckon 
every  one  must  know,  and  I  must  take  t' 
punishment  to  get  peace  in  my  soul  again. 
So  I  come  to  tell  you,  and  now  you  knows  it 
all." 

There  was  a  pause  for  a  moment ;  and  then 
I  said : 

"You've  told  me  a  lot  of  details,  Rube. 


RUBE  MARVIN'S  CONFESSION  203 

Do  you  remember  it  so  well  that  you  want 
to  swear  to  it  all  ?  " 

"  I  remembers  every  bit  as  if  it  was  burnt 
into  me,"  he  answered.  "  Is  that  how  I  told 
it  you,  Jake  ?  " 

"Nigh  as  I  can  remember  it's  word  for 
word,  Rube." 

"  You  understand  I  must  send  this  on  to 
St.  John's,  once  you  sign  it,  and  that  means 
you  will  be  arrested  and  sent  to  prison, 
possibly  next  spring  ?  " 

"Yes,  I  understands  it,  and  I'll  be 
glad  of  it,  too.  I  be  a  happy  man  once 
more." 

I  read  over  to  him  the  strange  tale  he  had 
told  me,  and  then  both  he  and  Jake  signed 
it,  after  taking  an  oath  that  the  statement 
was  the  truth,  the  whole  truth,  and  nothing  but 
the  truth.  And  there  for  the  time  the  matter 
ended. 

Rube  went  back  to  his  work  an  absolutely 
new  man.  The  crew  of  the  new  vessel  didn't 
know  what  to  make  of  it.  Early  and  late  he 
kept  them  at  it,  and  she  grew  so  fast  that  all 
doubts  as  to  her  being  ready  for  spring  were 
soon  things  of  the  past.  The  next  time  I 
went  down  to  Rube's  little  cottage,  his  good 
wife  told  me  he  almost  beat  the  baby  sleep- 
ing now,  and  if  it  weren't  that  she  hauled  him 


204  DOWN  NORTH  on  The  LABRADOR 

out  of  bed  in  the  morning  to  go  to  work  she 
reckoned  he'd  sleep  the  clock  round. 

But  meantime  the  big  envelope  with  the 
"  story  "  in  it  was  winging  its  way  around 
our  barren  coast  from  dog  train  to  dog  train, 
and  ever  getting  nearer  the  dread  courts  of 
the  judges  whose  fiat  would  come  down  to 
us  on  the  first  mail  steamer  after  the  sea 
opened  up,  and  would  be  pregnant  with  such 
big  issues  for  poor  Rube  and  his  family. 
Knowing  as  I  did  their  desire  in  St.  John's  to 
temper  justice  with  mercy,  I  had  ventured 
to  attach  an  appendix  of  my  own,  humbly 
praying  that  the  voluntary  confession,  the 
man's  otherwise  clean  record  and  sterling 
character,  the  dire  results  to  his  innocent 
family  if  he  were  deported  before  the  fishing 
season,  might  all  be  taken  into  account  and 
the  warrant  for  his  arrest  delayed  until  the 
fall  at  least. 

The  arrival  of  the  first  mail  steamer  is 
always  a  matter  of  importance.  One  may 
almost  say  the  whole  settlement  runs  riot 
with  excitement.  But  it  certainly  was  if 
possible  heightened  this  spring  to  me  when 
from  among  my  letters  there  fell  out  a  long, 
solemn-looking,  blue  envelope,  stamped  with 
the  royal  crest  and  official  insignia  of  the 
Supreme    Court  of    Justice.      With  almost 


RUBE  MARVIN'S  CONFESSION  205 

trembling  fingers  I  tore  it  open,  and  then  to 
my  joy  I  found  that  my  petition  was  granted, 
and  Rube  was  not  to  be  sent  up  with  the 
witnesses  for  the  trial  of  Mr.  Downer  on  the 
charge  of  barratry,  till  the  following  October. 
This  would  give  him  a  chance  to  get  the 
season's  fishing  for  his  family. 

The  case  came  on  in  due  time.  Downer 
was  sent  to  prison  for  two  years,  Rube  for 
one.  But  when  I  was  passing  through  the 
next  spring  on  my  way  north,  just  as  the 
fishing  began  once  more,  a  petition  we  pre- 
sented to  His  Excellency  the  Governor  for 
the  King's  pardon  for  Rube  was  successful. 
I  had  the  infinite  joy  of  carrying  the  news  to 
him  in  the  penitentiary  myself.  I  found  him 
in  excellent  spirits  and  perfect  health,  and  as 
I  shipped  him  as  a  hand  on  my  steamer  the 
moment  he  stepped  out  of  prison,  and  as  I 
walked  down  the  street  with  him  myself  to 
the  boat,  he  felt  the  coming  out  into  the 
world  again  less  than,  alas,  many  a  poor 
fellow  does.  He  has  been  one  of  my  best 
friends  and  helpers  from  that  day  to  this,  and 
to-day  I  know  of  no  man  living  on  our  long 
coast  whom  I  love  more,  whether  he  be  in 
broadcloth  or  fustian,  than  my  ever  happy 
and  optimistic  colleague,  Reuben  Marvin. 


XIII 
"  The  Spars  of  the  Rose  of  Torridge  " 

MALCOLM  ENGLISH  was  a  Scotch- 
man in  spite  of  his  name — at  least 
he  had  potentially  come  over  from 
that  country  in  the  loins  of  his  grandfather, 
who  seventy  years  back  had  served  the  great 
Hudson  Bay  Fur  Trading  Company  as  a 
cooper  for  the  salmon  and  seal  oil.  It  must 
be  remembered,  however,  that  the  one  or  two 
carefully  preserved  letters  which  the  good 
man  had  received  after  first  settling  on  the 
coast  bore  the  superscription  of  Malcolm 
Macintosh.  But  when  you  are  the  northern- 
most white  man  and  live  entirely  among 
Esquimos,  what  reason  is  there  to  be  fighting 
for  a  pesky  soubriquet  just  because  it  chances 
to  label  one's  grandfather,  especially  when  it 
happens  to  be  as  difficult  to  spell  as  it  is  im- 
possible to  pronounce.  The  ciphering  on  the 
old  letters  meant  nothing  anyhow  to  the 
present  Malcolm,  for  he  had  "  no  learning." 
He  was  a  modest,  retiring  fellow,  and  to 
all  his  world  he  was  just  plain  "Malcolm 
English." 
When  I  first  met  him  he  had  just  come  out 
206 


"  The  SPARS  of  The  ROSE''      207 

of  one  of  the  long  northern  Labrador  fjords, 
at  the  bottom  of  which  he  lived.  He  was  on 
his  way  to  baiter  some  fur  for  food  supplies 
with  the  schooner-men  of  a  small  fleet  of 
southern  fishing  vessels. 

Our  hospital  steamer  had  just  dropped  her 
anchor  in  the  midst  of  these  craft  and  the 
watch  on  deck  had  at  once  called  my  atten- 
tion to  a  queer  looking  boat  which  was  ap- 
proaching them.  She  was  low  and  flat, 
evidently  built  for  the  bay  only.  But  it  was 
the  speed  with  which  she  was  advancing  that 
first  gained  our  attention.  Our  curiosity  was 
greatly  increased  when  our  glasses  revealed 
a  girl  standing  up  steering,  while  two  more 
were  each  stoutly  pulling  a  pair  of  sculls  in 
perfect  time  with  a  tall  man's  rowing  stroke. 
Naturally  we  were  at  once  eager  to  know  more 
about  them. 

An  invitation  issued  by  the  mate,  though 
conveyed  in  his  usual  unconventional  manner 
through  a  megaphone  from  the  quarter-deck, 
was  successful  in  bringing  the  strangers  along- 
side and  aboard,  where  a  few  minutes'  ex- 
planation as  to  who  we  were  soon  served  to 
put  them  entirely  at  their  ease.  The  natural 
grace  of  these  tall,  splendidly  set  up  young 
women  was  something  to  remember.  Though 
their  home-made,  simple  dress  was  an  odd 


2o8  DOWN  NORTH  on  The  LABRADOR 

contrast  to  ours,  they  were  just  as  much  at 
home  among  us  strangers  as  if  they  had 
studied  deportment  in  a  New  York  finishing 
school.  Moreover  the  unaffected  gentlemanli- 
ness  of  their  big  clean-cut  father  gave  him  an 
atmosphere  of  superiority  with  which  no 
veneer  of  civilization  can  compare. 

He  had  only  brought  in  his  "  nonny  bag  " 
a  couple  of  red  foxes  and  an  otter  skin  to 
barter.  They  were  all  he  had  been  able  to 
"  hold "  until  the  fishermen  who  had  be- 
friended him  before  could  get  down  north 
through  the  ice,  though  he  well  knew  they 
would  trade  with  him  out  of  their  supplies, 
flour,  molasses  and  pork,  at  less  than  half  the 
cost  he  could  get  those  necessities  of  life  from 
any  of  the  trading  posts.  As  Malcolm's  home 
proved  to  be  "  'way  back  "  up  the  bay,  and  as 
it  was  late  before  his  trading  was  satisfacto- 
rily accomplished,  we  persuaded  "all  hands" 
to  stay  for  the  evening  and  tell  us  yams  of 
their  isolated  life  '*  down  north."  The  even- 
ing ended  with  some  singing  and  the  simplest 
of  simple  services.  The  complete  absence  of 
any  attempt  to  hide  their  delight  became  to 
us  all  the  more  enjoyable  when  we  under- 
stood that  not  one  of  our  new  friends  could 
either  read  or  write.  They  were  familiar, 
however,   with   most  of  the  hymns  and  the 


"  The  SPARS  of  The  ROSE''       209 

transparent  satisfaction  which  they  found  just 
in  the  singing  of  them  was  a  real  lesson  for 
us  in  the  philosophy  of  the  sources  of  happi- 
ness. 

It  was  not  a  great  effort,  at  their  earnest 
request,  to  run  up  the  bay  in  the  morning  and 
visit  the  log  cottage,  which  served  them  for  a 
salmon  fishing  station  in  summer,  for  trap- 
ping in  winter,  and  for  sealing  in  spring. 
Their  mother  had  "  gone  before  "  and  there 
were  no  boys,  so  the  girls  took  naturally  to 
their  share  of  all  these  occupations.  I  very 
much  doubt  if  anywhere  there  could  be  found 
a  more  simple,  wholesome  and  charming 
family.  Nor  was  this  due  entirely  to  the  set- 
ting of  their  life,  for  men  can  be  slaves  to 
self-indulgence  in  squalid  surroundings  as 
well  as  in  luxurious  palaces.  But  the  simple 
piety  of  this  little  home  made  us  literally  take 
our  hats  off. 

After  the  inevitable  cup  of  tea  and  a  visit 
around  the  house,  we  went  up  to  the  trout 
nets,  set  in  the  fjord  from  points  of  van- 
tage. E^ch  fleet  of  nets  was  watched 
over  in  friendly  rivalry  by  one  of  the  girls. 
Though  one  fleet  was  set  from  the  face  of  a 
sheer  overhanging  cliflf,  and  could  only  be 
approached  by  boat,  we  managed  in  the 
wake  of  one  of  the  girls  to  scramble  up  above 


2IO  DOWN  NORTH  on  The  LABRADOR 

it,  and  there  lying  out  on  our  faces  we  could 
see  fathoms  down  over  the  edge  into  the 
clear  water  below.  Even  as  we  watched, 
several  large  sea  trout  came  swimming  la- 
zily along,  and  disdaining  to  swim  under  or 
jump  over  the  barrier,  they  continued  to  butt 
straight  into  the  nets,  till  having  succeeded 
in  getting  their  heads  into  the  meshes  as  far 
as  their  gills,  they  were  unable  to  get  out,  and 
so.  lay  there  kicking  and  panting  until  their 
captors  should  come  after  them.  Our  friend, 
owing  to  his  Scotch  stock,  had  some  knowl- 
edge of  agriculture,  and  by  the  side  of  his 
house  was  a  small  garden  in  which  he  had 
some  nice  heads  of  lettuce  in  addition  to  a 
few  straggling  cabbage  and  turnip  plants. 
Moreover  we  could  not  help  noticing,  even 
in  our  short  walk,  how  few  things  escaped  the 
girls'  observant  eyes.  They  knew,  though  by 
names  of  their  own  coining,  the  birds,  the 
beasts,  the  flowers.  The  very  marshes  held 
friends  for  them  in  their  abundant  lichens  and 
mosses ;  while  the  native  blueberry,  red  cran- 
berry, yellow  cloudberry,  black  teaberry  and 
white  maidenhair  berry  formed  an  orchard  pre- 
pared for  them  by  nature  which  appeared  to 
them  none  the  less  generous  because  it  offered 
none  of  the  more  luscious  southern  fruits  of 
which  they  knew  nothing.     The  simple  jams 


"  The  SPARS  of  The  ROSE''      211 

served  at  tea  were  made  from  the  arctic  cran- 
berry, picked  in  May,  after  it  had  been  sweet- 
ened by  a  long  winter  under  the  snow.  This 
with  some  yellow  "bake-apple"  or  "cloud- 
berry" jelly,  made  from  the  new  crop  which 
had  just  been  gathered,  left  our  kindly  hosts 
no  cause  to  apologize  for  the  lack  of  any- 
thing. 

The  same  attractive  simplicity  character- 
ized everything  about  them.  They  possessed 
no  spring  hats,  no  rings,  no  earrings,  no  rich 
brocades,  no  frills  of  any  kind — and  yet  there 
seemed  nothing  lacking.  Their  hair,  the 
sole  covering  of  their  heads  that  they  either 
wore  or  needed,  could  not  have  been  im- 
proved by  either  puffs  or  curls  culled  from 
other  people.  There  was  in  everything  an 
entire  absence  of  that  coarseness  which  the 
environment  of  "mean  streets"  is  so  apt  to 
engender.  Indeed  they  seemed  in  every 
respect  like  a  breeze  fresh  from  unspoiled 
nature,  a  genuine  product  of  their  simple  life. 

The  pride  with  which  we  were  shown  the 
dogs'  house,  the  store,  the  new  splitting  stage 
covered  with  boards,  sawn  by  the  girls  them- 
selves with  their  large  pit-saw,  the  sledges, 
and  indeed  all  the  winter  outfit,  left  us  im- 
pressed with  the  fact  that  contentment  is, 
after  all,  a  greater  asset  than  riches,  and  we 


212  DOWN  NORTH  on  The  LABRADOR 

felt  almost  like  envying  our  new-found  friends 
their  quiet  life  in  the  bay.  They  would  not 
let  us  leave  them  at  night  till  we  had 
had  together  again  a  word  from  "  the  old 
book,"  and  also  sung  several  of  the  hymns 
with  the  tunes  of  which  they  were  fa- 
miliar. 

We  had  noticed  in  the  cottage  a  lamen- 
table absence  of  pictures,  due  to  the  complete 
isolation.  They  had  picture  frames  hung  up, 
made  out  of  birch  and  ornamented  by  elab- 
orate whittling.  Also  some  made  of  smoked 
deerskin  strips  ornamented  with  coloured 
beads,  but  all  pathetically  empty.  The  de- 
light afforded  by  the  gift  of  some  old  illus- 
trated papers  with  a  few  of  the  Christmas 
coloured  inserts  was  in  itself  a  reward  for 
our  journey.  These  simple  gifts  were  such 
an  obvious  addition  to  the  brightness  of  the 
rooms  that  the  ruling  passion,  so  manifest  in 
our  northern  folk,  namely  their  beautiful 
home  love,  simply  dissipated  any  remaining 
reserve.  "  You  isn't  going  to  give  us  them,  is 
you,  doctor  ?  "  "  Not  really,  is  you,  though?  " 
was  a  chorus  rather  than  a  monologue.  It 
made  us  almost  afraid  even  to  suggest  that 
they  might  like  to  trade  for  a  few  simple 
household  devices  of  civilization  that  we 
wished  they  could  have. 


"  The  SPARS  of  The  ROSE''       213 

At  last  it  was  time  to  leave,  and  as  we 
steamed  out  of  the  bay  we  realized  that  there 
are  sermons  in  other  things  besides  pulpits 
and  stones. 

A  couple  of  years  passed  away  and  our  hos- 
pital steamer  was  again  lying  at  anchor  off  the 
northern  hospital.  The  season  was  late  and 
much  floe  ice  was  still  around,  while  the 
snow  had  by  no  means  gone  from  the  land. 
For  the  sake  of  the  work  of  this  station, 
which  is  with  the  fishing  schooners  that  come 
down  for  the  cod  fishery,  the  hospital  is 
placed  among  a  group  of  islands  lying  well 
out  in  the  Atlantic.  Here,  owing  to  the 
extreme  coldness  of  the  polar  current,  the 
land  offers  nothing  but  barren  rocks,  with  the 
result  that  early  in  the  season  before  the 
return  of  the  summer  fishermen  has  wakened 
it  up  into  something  like  activity,  the  environ- 
ment is  about  as  depressing  as  one  can  easily 
imagine. 

The  sound  of  some  one  shooting  from  the 
shore  roused  me  one  morning  from  my  rev- 
eries as  I  sat  in  the  chart  room.  As  I  arose 
to  go  out,  the  deck  hand  announced  that  a 
man  on  the  rocks  was  beckoning,  and  asked 
my  permission  to  take  away  the  jolly-boat  and 
bring  him  aboard.     "  Certainly,  Abe,  go  off 


214  DOWN  NORTH  on  The  LABRADOR 

at  once,"  for  indeed  I  was  glad  enough  to 
find  another  human  being  moving  around. 
Soon  a  tall,  familiar,  yet  unfamiliar,  figure 
climbed  over  the  rail,  and  after  looking  at  me 
a  moment  with  a  twinkle  in  his  eye,  said,  "  I 
see  you's  forgotten  me,  doctor ;  it's  Malcolm 
English,  whom  you  came  over  to  see  two 
years  ago  in  Tikkertane  Bay." 

'  Shake  hands,"  I  replied.  "  I  remember 
you  now  as  if  it  were  yesterday.  Whatever 
are  you  doing  up  here  ?  What  induced  you 
to  leave  home,  and   where  are  your  girls  ? " 

"  It's  a  long  story,"  he  answered,  somewhat 
wearily,  "  and  that's  just  what  I  come  over 
here  to  tell  you,  doctor." 

"  Come  right  in,  Malcolm ;  you  found  me 
idle  and  I  will  be  just  delighted  if  I  can  be  of 
any  service  to  you." 

"  No  thanks,  I  don't  smoke,"  he  said  as  I 
pushed  him  the  tobacco  jar.  "  I  had  to  give 
it  up  for  want  of  tobacco,  and  I  can't  afford 
to  learn  to  want  it  now.  Well,  first  of  all, 
doctor,  I  t'ink  you  knows  that  there  were  no 
chance  to  get  ahead  down  where  we  lived  in 
Tikkertane  Bay.  You  couldn't  get  any  cash 
for  anything  ever,  and  so  us  never  could 
put  anything  by.  There  is  only  me  to  fend 
for  the  three  maids,  and  so  I  got  to  t' inking 
I  would  like  to  come  where  perhaps  we  might 


"  The  SPARS  of  The  ROSE''      215 

get  some  money.  T'ingB  was  terribly  dear 
down  there  too,  and  it  didn't  matter  how 
much  us  bought  we  was  always  just  a  bit  in 
debt  to  the  store.  You  knows  Captain  Abe 
Niccols  of  the  Quickstep?  Well,  one  day 
he  said  I  might  get  a  chance  with  Mr.  Flash- 
man  at  Wild  Cove,  who  wanted  some  one  to 
mind  his  rooms  in  the  winter.  So  he  wrote 
him  a  letter  for  us,  and  sure  enough  he  said 
if  us  would  come  up  to  the  cove,  he  would 
give  us  our  living  and  forty  dollars  for 
t'  winter,  so  long  as  we  would  mend  his 
nets,  and  boats,  and  gear,  and  watch  his 
place  and  paint  everything  up  ready  for 
the  fishery.  We  could  trap  in  the  winter  as 
well  if  we  liked,  and  if  we  would  sign  on  for 
a  year,  he  would  fit  us  out  and  take  our  fish 
next  summer  as  well.  So  Uncle  Abe  brought 
us  up  in  t'  schooner  last  fall,  and  us  has  been 
working  for  Mr.  Flashman  ever  since." 

"  Well,  what's  the  matter  ?  Do  you  want 
a  passage  down  again  with  all  the  money  you 
have  made  ?  "  Malcolm  noticed  at  once  an 
odd  ring  in  my  voice,  and  looked  up  sharply 
to  see  what  I  meant  by  it. 

••  Money ! "  he  said.  "  Money !  Well,  that's 
just  the  trouble.  It's  eighteen  months  now 
and  us  has  worn  out  all  our  things  and  us 
has  no  money  yet.     Mr.  Flashman  has  just 


2i6  DOWN  NORTH  on  The  LABRADOR 

come  back  yesterday  for  t'  summer,  and  he 
says  again,  '  There's  no  cash  coming  to  you, 
boy,  this  year.  Your  winter's  diet  has  swal- 
lowed up  all  that'  He  wouldn't  listen  to 
nothing  I  could  say,  and  threatened  to  drive 
me  and  the  girls  right  out-of-doors  if  I  said 
any  more  about  it.  Then  there's  worse  than 
that,  doctor.  There's  men  drinking  there  all 
the  while,  and  it's  bad  enough  to  see  the 
goings  on.  For  the  poor  fellows  soon  gets 
so  they  doesn't  know  what  they's  doing, 
and  then  they  just  parts  with  the  fish  that 
they  ought  to  be  carrying  to  their  women 
folks  at  home.  Then  I  am  terribly  feared  for 
my  girls,  doctor.  There's  been  several  fisher 
girls  round  there  drunk  since  t'  big  schooner 
come  down,  and  I  seed  one  poor  creature 
lying  out  there  on  the  hillside  as  I  crossed 
over  to  see  you.  It  means  no  good  for  them 
poor  things,  and  us  wants  to  go  back  down 
to  our  home  again." 

"It's  far  and  away  the  best  thing  you  can 
do,  Malcolm.  I  never  yet  knew  any  one  get 
rich  out  of  Flashman.  I  wish  you  had  asked 
me  about  it  before  you  came  up  at  all.  It 
might  have  saved  you  this.  But,  of  course, 
you  couldn't  do  that  without  any  mail  service. 
How  are  you  going  to  get  back  ?  " 

"  That's  the  trouble ;  us  hasn't  got  nothing 


"  The  SPARS  of  The  ROSE''      217 

left.  Captain  Abe  could  call  in  for  us  in  t' 
schooner  if  he  knowed,  but  he  doesn't  call 
in  nowhere  going  down  in  the  spring  if  he 
can  help  it,  fearing  some  one  might  get  down 
before  him  and  get  his  trap  berth." 

"  You  say  Flashman  won't  pay  you  any- 
thing for  the  winter ;  perhaps  there  is  some 
way  to  make  him.  Let's  see  what  you  have 
done  all  winter." 

"  Well,  t'  girls  mended  t'  nets,  and  t'  twine, 
and  sails,  and  cleared  up  t'  rooms,  and 
helped  me  fit  out  the  stages  and  fix  up  t' 
boats.  Them  is  almost  as  handy  with  an 
axe  as  with  a  needle.  We  got  everything 
just  ready  for  Mr.  Flashman' s  men  to  go 
right  to  work  the  day  they  come  down. 
And  yet  he  says  there  is  nothing  coming  to 
us." 

"  Did  you  have  any  visitors  in  the  winter 
who  hadn't  any  food  of  their  own  ?  " 

"  Well,  there  is  always  one  or  two,  doctor, 
and  maybe  there  was  more  than  usual  this 
winter.  But  what  can  you  do,  doctor  ?  You 
can't  see  folk  go  hungry." 

I  had  been  listening  as  a  magistrate, 
though  I  didn't  think  he  knew  I  was  a 
magistrate.  However,  I  was  certain  from  the 
nature  of  the  man  that  he  had  not  come  for 
help  by  physical  force.     But  after  all,  I  had 


2i8  DOWN  NORTH  on  The  LABRADOR 

the  power  of  a  justice  of  the  peace,  and  even 
if  there  wasn't  any  one  in  Labrador  who 
could  try  civil  cases,  I  might  find  some  loop- 
hole to  help  out.  But  this  last  information 
seemed  a  mighty  weak  spot.  Neither  he  nor 
his  daughter  could  figure.  With  his  frank 
nature,  and  what  I.mightcall  his  "uncivilized" 
sensitiveness  for  truth  in  the  smallest  matters, 
he  insisted,  "  Maybe  I  used  a  bit  more 
molasses  and  flour  than  if  I  had  been  alone 
all  winter.  There  was  nothing  said  in  the 
agreement  about  us  giving  a  meal  to  them  as 
might  come  along,  and  o'  course  I  doesn't 
want  to  rob  Mr.  Flashman."  But  even  he 
felt  sure  that  twenty  dollars  would  pay  for 
what  he  might  have  had  more  than  his 
allowance,  as  there  were  few  folk  that  came 
off  to  the  island,  since  it  wasn't  near  the 
komatik  track.  There  certainly  should  be 
twenty  dollars  coming  to  them  for  their 
winter's  work. 

•'  Is  there  nothing  else,  Malcolm,  that  you 
can  think  of?" 

"  Yes,  doctor ;  there  be  a  few  coals  that 
had  been  left  over  since  the  time  when  there 
was  a  steam  launch.  There  is  no  wood  out 
on  t'  island,  and  us  couldn't  get  through  t' 
slob  ice  to  go  in  t'  bay  afore  us  had  to  be 
painting  and  fixing  t'  boats.     Mr.  Flashman 


"  The  SPARS  of  The  ROSE''       219 

agreed  to  find  us  wood,  but  there  wasn't 
enough  to  last  out,  and  so  us  had  to  use  a  bit 
of  coal  or  perish." 

It  was  clearly  a  more  difficult  matter  to 
decide  than  I  had  hoped.  I  knew  I  had 
heard  every  word  of  the  truth.  I  knew  the 
family  were  destitute,  if  Malcolm  would  con- 
fess it.  I  knew  there  was  no  other  course 
possible  than  to  get  them  straight  back 
home.  But  how  to  find  the  money  to  renew 
their  nets,  boats  and  outfit,  to  keep  them 
from  starving  when  they  got  there,  I  couldn't 
see,  for  there  was  nothing  left  after  two  years. 
If  law  and  equity  were  synonymous  I  could 
manage  it  easily.  For  then  I  should  have 
taken  my  crew  down  and  helped  my  poor 
friends  to  the  full  amount  promised  them  out 
of  Flashman's  store.  But  even  if  there  were 
a  written  agreement  Malcolm  had  no  copy ; 
and  probably  as  he  was  illiterate  there  never 
was  one.  I  had  more  than  once  given 
judgment  where  only  verbal  agreements  had 
been  made.  Indeed,  being  a  surgeon  and 
not  a  lawyer,  and  having  no  knowledge  of 
precedents,  the  deck  of  the  vessel  was  always 
a  court  of  equity  rather  than  of  law.  In  spite 
of  which,  hitherto  its  working  has  been  more 
rapid,  less  expensive  and  I  think  as  satis- 
factory,   so  far   as   we   had  found,  as  that 


220  DOWN  NORTH  on  The  LABRADOR 

in  more  ornate  and  conventional  surround- 
ings. 

But  Flashman  had  the  right,  and  undoubt- 
edly would  use  it,  to  appeal  from  any  de- 
cision I  might  make.  We  had  been  at  issue 
more  than  once  before,  and  I  had  neither 
time  nor  desire  for  mere  recrimination,  as 
our  aim  is  to  be  remedial,  and  not  retributive. 
An  appeal  meant  no  possible  trial  until  next 
winter,  and  then  neither  Malcolm  nor  I  could 
by  any  chance  be  there  to  proceed  with  the 
case.  It  was  a  hard  problem,  and  I  sat  chew- 
ing my  pencil,  while  Malcolm,  who  in  spite  of 
his  statement  couldn't  resist  filling  and  light- 
ing the  new  pipe  I  had  pushed  over  to  him, 
smoked  in  silence.  "  Isn't  there  anything  else 
you  can  think  of  at  all  ?  Haven't  you  any- 
thing   left  of  your  own?" 

"Well,  doctor,  I  thought  I  had;  there's 
them  two  pitch  pine  spars ;  I  reckon  them's 
worth  a  hundred  dollars,  and  I  'lows  I  ought 
to  have  something  for  saving  them." 

"  Tell  me  about  them." 

"  Well,  doctor,  t'  winter  before  last  there 
was  a  large  brigantine  from  England  called 
t'  Rose  of  Torridge  that  had  come  out  with  a 
cargo  of  salt  for  Mr.  Flashman.  She  were 
loaded  with  fish  for  the  market,  and  was  just 
beating  out  of  Wild  Cove  when  she  missed 


"  The  SPARS  of  The  ROSE''      221 

stays  and  struck  on  Dead-man's  Reef  at  the 
mouth  of  t'  harbour.  There  be  plenty  that 
says  they  could  ha'  got  her  off  easy  enough 
if  they  had  liked.  Leastwise  she  had  no  right 
to  strike  at  all  on  a  fine  morning  with  a  light 
westerly  wind  blowing.  But  she  were  put 
up  for  sale  right  away,  and  Mr.  Flashman 
bought  her  for  a  wreck.  She  weren't  floated 
for  a  week,  but  then  they  towed  her  right  up 
and  anchored  her  in  the  *  run '  to  leave  her 
for  the  spring.  For,  of  course,  Mr.  Flashman 
had  no  crew  for  her.  Somehow  a  lot  of  talk 
about  her  got  around,  and  some  said  that 
men  were  coming  down  from  t'  government 
to  see  about  how  she  were  lost,  and  then 
suddenly  she  got  on  fire  and  burnt  to  the 
water  line. 

"  Well,  doctor,  last  spring  t*  ice  all  broke 
up,  and  my  Maggie  saw  what  was  left 
of  the  wreck  driving  down  alongshore  in 
a  big  pan  of  ice.  There  wasn't  nothing 
worth  saving  but  the  spars.  But  it  seemed 
a  shame  to  let  them  go,  and  them  pitch  pine, 
without  a  try  to  get  'em.  So  us  all  four  set 
out  to  try  and  cut  them  out  of  t'  ice,  and  get 
them  fast  to  a  point  of  rock  as  they  went  by. 
It  took  us  all  day  to  get  them  loose  from  the 
ice  and  we  got  wet  and  cold  enough.  But 
at  last  we  got  a  line  to  the  cliflf,  above  where 


222  DOWN  NORTH  on  The  LABRADOR 

the  ice  was  carrying  them  along,  and  just  as 
the  floe  swept  by  the  point  us  rolled  them  off 
into  the  water  and  they  drove  into  t*  back- 
water behind  it.  Us  had  a  big  enough  job 
to  get  back  to  land  ourselves,  and  we  didn't 
get  t'  spars  safe  for  a  few  days.  But  at  last 
t'  wind  stopped,  and  there  was  a  lane  of 
water  along  the  ballicater  ice,  so  us  could 
tow  'em  around  and  haul  'em  up  to  safety." 

Knowing  the  Labrador  winter  ice  as  I  do, 
and  having  lost  my  own  steamer  exactly  the 
same  way,  I  just  jumped  up  and  shook 
hands  with  him. 

"  Well  done ;  good  for  you  and  the  girls, 
Malcolm.  That  was  worth  while  if  you  never 
get  a  cent  for  it."  Think  of  it,  a  solitary 
man  and  three  girls  out  with  axes  and  bars, 
prizing  out  that  old  vessel's  spars  from  the 
floe  as  it  drove  by  their  island,  and  saving 
them  at  the  foot  of  a  sheer  cliff,  and  then 
getting  safely  ashore  again  ! 

"  Splendid.  What  did  Mr.  Flashman  say  ? '» 
I  added,  suddenly  recollecting  what  led  up  to 
the  story. 

"  Mr.  Flashman  said  the  spars  was  all  his, 
doctor.  He  said  he  had  paid  for  my  time, 
and  all  I  got  was  hisn." 

"  I  guess  I'll  come  over  and  see  Mr.  Flash- 
man  myself,"  I  said,  "  though  he  did  say  he 


"  The  SPARS  of  The  ROSE"       223 

would  throw  me  into  the  sea  if  I  landed 
again  on  his  wharf.  Come  along ;  there  is 
no  time  to  waste." 

It  was  only  a  couple  of  miles  by  sea,  and 
two  pairs  of  sculls  soon  made  that  look 
small.  As  we  neared  the  point,  I  landed 
Malcolm  and  rowed  on  alone,  not  wishing  to 
complicate  matters  unnecessarily  for  him. 
I  had  learned  from  Malcolm  where  the  spars 
lay,  and  went  to  estimate  their  value  before 
going  up  to  the  house.  But  evidently  I  had 
been  recognized,  for  while  I  was  fastening 
the  boat  an  ugly  crowd  of  men  had  come 
down  and  were  standing  by  the  spars,  as  if 
it  were  possible  for  me  to  carry  them  off 
single  handed  like  Samson  did  the  gates  of 
Gaza. 

However,  when  I  gave  them  "  good-morn- 
ing "  they  returned  my  greeting,  and  I  knew 
then  I  had  guessed  right.  They  had  little  love 
for  their  task  for  Flashman,  for  they  did  not 
offer  to  interfere  with  my  measuring  and  esti- 
mating the  value  of  the  masts,  which  I  found 
had  been  chopped  off  at  the  gammon  as  the 
only  way  to  get  them  free  from  the  sub- 
merged hull. 

This  being  done,  I  proceeded  towards  the 
house,  and  on  the  narrow  path  by  the  cliflf 
edge  met  Flashman,  evidently  watching  me. 


224  DOWN  NORTH  on  The  LABRADOR 

His  men,  who  had  posed  all  the  while 
as  chance  onlookers,  remained  by  the  spars. 

"  Good-morning,  Mr.  Flashman," 

"Good-morning;  can  I  do  anything  for 
you  ?  "  he  answered. 

"  Yes,  you  can ;  you  can  pay  me  one- third 
the  value  of  those  pitch  pine  spars,  or  I  shall 
have  to  seize  them.     .     .     ." 

There  is  no  need  to  record  the  conversa- 
tion that  followed.  It  wouldn't  be  helpful, 
and  foolish  language  isn't  generally  a  Labra- 
dor failing.  Suffice  it  to  say,  we  soon  under- 
stood each  other. 

"  The  sun  is  already  long  past  midday,  Mr. 
Flashman,  and  the  matter  will  have  to  be 
settled  elsewhere  anyhow.  So  I  will  bid  you 
good-bye  for  the  present."  And  I  turned  to 
go  down  the  edge  of  the  cliff  to  where  I  had 
left  my  boat. 

As  I  did  so,  I  caught  sight  of  the  well-knit 
figure  of  Malcolm,  standing  in  the  shelter  of 
the  rocks  about  half-way  between  me  and 
the  water,  while  sitting  on  the  bank  by  him, 
but  well  out  of  sight  from  above,  were  his 
three  bonnie  girls.  Exactly  like  Flashman's 
men,  they  were  playing  at  being  there  by 
chance. 

I  could  not  help  smiling,  for  I  knew  the  real 
reason,  and  I  wondered  whether  Flashman 


"  The  SPARS  of  The  ROSE''       225 

had  also  seen  them,  and  had  suspected  that  I 
had  arranged  for  this  Amazonian  body-guard 
to  be  in  reserve.  The  strain  of  the  interview 
had  been  somewhat  intense,  and  the  possi- 
bility that  he  had  pictured  them  as  Valkyries 
swooping  down  upon  him  from  their  native 
heights  was  so  irresistibly  ludicrous  that  I 
fairly  burst  out  laughing. 

The  sound  reached  Flashman.  He  was 
standing,  evidently  in  doubt,  just  where  I 
had  left  him.  Suddenly  he  called  loudly 
down  to  me  that  he  wanted  to  say  something 
to  me.  To  my  utter  surprise  it  was,  "You've 
a  long  way  to  go,  doctor.  I  suppose  you 
wouldn't  care  for  dinner  before  you  start  ? " 
With  the  extraordinary  versatility  that  char- 
acterized the  man,  he  had  altered  in  an 
instant  from  the  sordid,  heartless  money- 
grabber,  to  the  chivalrous  mediaeval  host, 
who  took  pleasure  in  feeding  his  enemy.  He 
was  a  veritable  "  Jekyl  and  Hyde,"  where  the 
wizard's  potion  was  a  sense  of  humour.  He 
had  obviously  spied  my  volunteer  body- 
guard. 

"  Will  I  take  dinner  in  your  house  ?  Cer- 
tainly I  will.  I  shall  trust  you  not  to  poison 
me," — and  we  solemnly  marched  off  together 
up  the  hill. 

As  half  an  hour  later  I  sat  at  the  table,  with 


226  DOWN  NORTH  on  The  LABRADOR 

Flashman  carving,  the  sense  of  the  ridiculous 
was  once  again  too  much  for  me,  and  I  broke 
out  laughing  incontinently.  What  made  it 
worse  was  the  expression  on  his  face,  whidi 
betrayed  that  he  was  just  dying  to  know  the 
cause  of  my  merriment.  Nor,  though  we 
had  called  a  truce  during  the  hour  of  refresh- 
ment for  the  sake  of  Labrador  hospitality, 
could  I  refrain  from  describing  to  him  how  I 
felt  certain  I  should  one  day  live  to  pick  his 
bones  instead  of  those  of  the  fat  sea  birds  on 
which  he  was  regaling  me. 

We  parted  as  we  met,  without  shaking 
hands.  Both  of  us  meant  war.  I  saw  no 
way  but  the  gospel  of  the  maily  fist  for  Flash- 
man.     And  he — well,  he  had  no  fear  of  a 

missionary. 

When  I  went  out,  the  faithful  Malcolm  was 
still  "  standing  by,"  though,  thinking  it  safe 
to  do  so,  he  had  sent  the  Amazons  to  get 
their  dinner.  I  walked  up  to  his  cottage  with 
him  and  told  him  how  matters  stood,  and 
that  he  was  to  come  over  and  see  me  in  the 
evening.  Then  we  could  settle  what  to  do 
next.  "  Bring  your  girls  along  with  you, 
Malcolm,  and  we  can  give  you  all  one  good 
time  anyhow  aboard  the  ship,  if  you  never 
have  another." 

That  evening,  as  once  more  Malcolm  sat 


"  The  SPARS  of  The  ROSE''      227 

opposite  me,  smoking  the  pipe  I  had  given 
him,  my  inspiration  came. 

"  I'll  tell  you  what  I'll  do,  Malcolm.  I  want 
some  pitch  pine  badly  to  panel  the  hospital 
hallway  and  staircase.  I'll  buy  your  share  of 
the  spars,  and  as  we  can't  do  anything  else 
we'll  just  pray  that  the  good  Lord  may  send 
Skipper  Abe  into  Wild  Cove  as  he  goes 
north." 

It  took  some  persuading  to  make  my  friend 
agree  to  the  first  part  of  the  bargain,  and  I 
am  certain  it  was  only  an  unlimited  confi- 
dence in  my  powers  to  have  my  way,  that  I 
at  last  reconciled  him  to  selling  what  he  knew 
he  could  not  hand  over  in  person  at  once. 
Seeing  my  advantage,  I  forced  the  matter  to 
an  issue  directly,  and  we  drew  up  a  written 
deed  of  sale  signed  with  the  humble  X  of  each 
of  the  vendors,  none  of  whom  could  sign 
otherwise. 

Meanwhile,  we  had  secretly  packed  a  small 
box  with  some  useful  things  from  our  cloth- 
ing department,  and  secreted  it  in  their  boat, 
and  when  finally  we  shouted  "good-night" 
from  the  rail  to  our  friends,  they  at  least  had 
enough  warm  garments  to  get  home  with,  if 
only  Captain  Abe  came  in.  There  was  no 
possible  way  to  insure  this  otherwise,  so  we 
just  asked  the  good  Lord  before  we  turned  in 


228  DOWN  NORTH  on  The  LABRADOR 

for  the  night  to  give  Captain  Abe  Niccols,  of 
the  QuickstePy  a  rousing  head  wind  when  he 
should  reach  down  to  latitude  56°  25'  north. 

We  had  to  leave  during  the  night,  and  it 
was  nearly  three  weeks  before  I  ran  in  to 
Tikkertane  Harbour.  By  this  time  my  crew 
knew  the  story  of  poor  Malcolm  only  too 
well,  and  they  were  all  on  deck  as  we  stood 
in  towards  our  anchorage,  for  they  were  just 
crazy  to  hear  if  the  schooner  Quickstep  had 
brought  down  Malcolm  English  or  not. 

We  had  not  long  to  wait.  Even  as  our 
anchor  chain  rattled  out  through  the  hawse 
pipe  we  saw  a  quaint  but  familiar  flag  being 
rapidly  hoisted  on  a  tall  mast  among  the 
bunch  of  schooners  in  the  bay. 

*'  She's  there  all  right,  doctor ! "  my  mate 
called  out  somewhat  needlessly,  with  his 
characteristic  enthusiasm.  For  which,  how- 
ever, we  make  concessions  on  these  occasions, 
seeing  he  is  a  family  man  himself. 

"  Yes,  the  Quickstep  is  there  all  right,  Bill. 
And  what's  more,  you  may  be  sure  she's  got 
'em,  or  they  wouldn't  think  of  hoisting  that 
flag  in  such  a  hurry.  Get  out  the  jolly-boat 
and  go  and  see." 

But  there  was  no  need  for  that.  In  less 
than  no  time  a  large  fishing  boat  was  sweep- 
ing along  straight  for  our  steamer,  and  the 


"  The  SPARS  of  The  ROSE''       229 

style  of  oarsmanship  spoke  as  clearly  to  us 
all  as  ever  did  a  Galilean  accent  to  a  Jew  of 
old.  There  was  a  man  steering  and  three 
girls  each  pulling  double  sculls. 

No,  I  never  got  those  spars.  The  victory 
cannot  always  be  on  one  side.  But  worse 
even  than  to  lose  them,  Flashman  had  the 
laugh  on  me.  For  I  was  foolish  enough  to 
steam  over  to  try  and  take  them  "  willy-nilly," 
only  to  find  that  they  were  already  miles 
away,  sailing  the  sea  as  spars  in  one  of 
Flashman's  own  schooners.  They  were  good 
spars,  and  I  hope  they  brought  no  trouble  to 
the  good  fellows  whose  safety  depended  on 
them. 

It  was  some  years  before  I  got  even  with 
Flashman.  But  his  reckoning  did  come  later, 
though  in  another  manner.  There  was  to  be, 
however,  one  more  chapter  to  this  story. 

Some  years  later  a  much  battered  package, 
evidently  hailing  from  the  far  north,  made  its 
appearance  on  my  chart  room  table.  To  my 
dismay,  when  I  opened  it  there  fell  out  in 
postage  stamps  the  price  I  had  paid  for  the 
two  pitch  pine  spars  of  the  good  ship  Rose  of 
Torridge.  It  was  Malcolm  English's  last 
word. 


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